Lion King 3: the Rise of Simba
by Rogue-Lion
Summary: Sometimes the past can be filled with pain, but that doesn't mean it can't also be filled with joy. Join Simba as he relives his past life where he discovered the joys of being a parent, came face to face with cubhood friends, learned the responsibilities of being Lion King, and... faced off against Scar's personal Lion Guard? This is one adventure you don't want to miss!
1. Chapter 1

Hello **everyone and welcome to my very first story! (first of many I hope.)**

 **I decided to do one on the Lion King since it's by far one of my favorite movies growing up, plus the sequel and kids series left gaps that just need to be filled.**

 **I truly hope you enjoy and please review as much as possible. I thrive off of feedback and I want this story to be the best it can be.**

 **Of course I do have to point out that I do not own the Lion King or any characters from the movies and books.**

 **(Disney better not screw up the remake.)**

 **Anyway, enough talk. You probably want to get on with the story. Well so do I.**

 **So without further a do, enjoy!**

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 **Ch. 1** **The Present**

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 _ **Some of us fall by the wayside and some of us sore to the stars. Some of us sail through out troubles and some have to live with the scars**_

 _ **-Elton John**_

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 _ **(4 months after the death of Zira)**_

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Our story begins with a peaceful sunrise over the African Savannah.

 **"Naaaaants igonyaaaaaama bagithi-baba!"**

Well... almost peaceful.

"Aiiiieeee! What dis all dat racket?!" Rafiki screamed as he fell out of his bed in shock. The old shaman was enjoying his early morning rest in his tree after a hard nights work. That is... he was resting until the sudden singing woke him up. Surprised and and now curious, Rafiki grabbed his staff and hurried up to the top of his tree to find out where all the noise was coming from. As he got to the top and pushed aside the leafs, he saw an interesting sight: a young mandrill who was half his size, with bulky black fur around his neck, stretched out as far as he could from the branch that he was standing on, singing his heart out.

 **"Naaaaants igonyaaaaaama bagithi-babaaaaa!"**

"Ay!" Rafiki shouted, "Keep it down! You don't get to be 112 years old by missing naps!" The young mandrill jumped when he heard Rafiki's voice behind him. but when he saw it was only the old shaman, he relaxed.

"Oh! Uncle... it's you," the mandrill said with a sigh of relief. Rafiki smiled and shook his head, as if to express both his curiosity and surprise at what his nephew was up to.

"Marifa," he said in calm tone, "what on Earth do you dink you are doing?" Marifa began to scratch the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Sorry Uncle." he said, feeling a bit sheepish when he realized he woke up Rafiki, "I was just practicing my ceremony summons for when I have to present the heirs to the Pride Lands when I'm older. H-How did I do?"

"How did you do?!" Rafiki laughed as he walked up to the young one and put his hand on his shoulder, "Marrifa my boy... you did great! But warn me the next time before you do dat! I don't want to wake up one day to see a bunch of animals at our door step because of your singing." Rafiki's words lifted the young one's spirits. He was so nervous that he was doing something wrong, but Rafiki's affirmation was all he needed to tell the young apprentice that he was on the right track.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the sky, causing both Rafiki and Marifa to look towards the horizon. Though the land was still dark, Rafiki could just barely make out in the dim morning light a small image of the place known as Pride Rock; where the Lion King and his pride of lions lived. He smiled, for he knew that Simba was awake and it wouldn't be long until he would soon see him and his family.

"It appears we will soon be having guests," he said to his young apprentice.

"The king?" Marifa asked.

"Mmhm." Rafiki nodded before motioning back to the tree with his staff. "Now come on! We have a lot to do before de sun fully rises!" obeying his teacher, Marifa followed Rafiki back into the tree and began making preparations for their upcoming guests.

Now Marifa was not really Rafiki's nephew. A while back, Rafiki found Marifa, lost and alone in the Pride Lands, and decided to take him in and raise him as his own. Rafiki had been the shaman of the Pride Lands for a long time, and he knew he wasn't going to be around forever. So he needed someone who he could pass down his wisdom and knowledge too. Though Rafiki was currently teaching another how to perform the duties of a shaman and keeper of the histories, the old mandrill didn't see the harm in teaching another.

When he asked Marifa if he would like to be his apprentice, Marifa was simply delighted by his uncle's offer, and Rafiki was more than happy take him under his wing. As time passed, Marifa became quite wise and was skilled with all types of herbs and medicine, as well as keeping the histories of the Pride Lands. Marrifa thought that he had learned every single detail of the Lion King's history, but today, he would discover a story that would surprise not only himself, but Simba's family as well.

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Unlike Rafiki and Marifa, back at Pride Rock, there was one lion who was not having such a good morning.

Outside of the royal den of Pride Rock, a lioness with a bright golden pelt and amber eyes walked out into the bright shimmering rays of the morning sun. It was Kiara, Simba's daughter and princess of the Pride Lands. Normally, she would be seen walking around with her boyfriend, Kovu around this time, but lately Simba had been taking him off on early excursions through the Pride Lands; grooming him for the expected duty of becoming the king (assuming he would take the next step with Kiara in their relationship). Waking up to the roar from earlier, Kiara knew that Simba was most likely out teaching Kovu another royal lesson, meaning that she was all alone this morning.

She took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp fresh morning air as she made her way towards the tip of Pride Rock. She gazed out at the kingdom that would one day be hers and watched as the many different animals in the kingdom went about their daily lives. The birds were roosting in the trees, the gazelles were galloping through the fields, and Kiara even spotted a young Kudu and zebra foal taking part in what appeared to be some sort of race between each other.

Yes, everyone seemed happy, yet for some reason, Kiara could not say the same about herself. True, everything was as it should be. The conflict between the Out Lands and the Pride Lands were over, Zira was gone, and there was no reason for worry, yet for some reason, the young lioness found herself feeling as though something was still... wrong.

Not with the Pride Lands, but with herself.

Kiara sprawled herself on the tip of Pride Rock, letting her paws dangle over the edge while she just aimlessly looked out at the vast savannah. Her once sweet smile slowly turned into a depressed look. For many years Kiara remembered feeling empty, as if something was just out of place. That changed after Kovu came into her life. Whenever he was around, Kiara felt that certain piece of her life suddenly click back into place. Besides the fact that he was one of the very few male lions she had ever come across in her life; he was also patient, understanding, and above all a trustworthy friend.

He made her happy. She should be happy... yet, as time progressed, that sinking feeling slowly returned, and it was worse than she remembered. She never told anyone in her family about it, for she didn't want them to worry about her, but still, Kiara wasn't entirely sure she knew exactly what she was even feeling. Sadness? A strong longing? Loss? It was all so confusing for her to process. She had only felt this way once in the past, and it was when she had to say goodbye to someone dear to her, and though she still missed him, she found herself missing... someone else?

Kiara groaned, not being able to make sense of it all. Suddenly, she heard someone coming up behind her.

"You know," a familiar feminine voice said, "If you get any closer to that edge, you'll fall off." Kiara looked back and smiled when she saw her two cub-hood friends standing behind her.

"Tiifu, Zuri." Kiara smiled and stood up when she saw her old friends; Zuri, a lioness with a light orange pelt, blue eyes and a tan dot on each ear; and Tiifu, a tan lioness with dark green eyes, white rims under her ears and eyes, and a tiny piece of fur sticking up on her head. Both of them stood side by side, with big smiles on their faces. Ever since Simba increased Kiara's royal training, she hadn't been able to spend as much time with her friends as she used to. Seeing them stand before her now, almost fully adults, made Kiara realize just how quickly time had flown by.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Kiara asked, giving her friends a small grin.

"Girl," Zuri began as she cocked her neck as she spoke, "It's been like fo-ev-er. Where have you been?"

"Oh you know," Kiara said nonchalantly while gesturing with her paw, "this and that, stopping wars, saving the Pride Lands, the usual."

"Sounds like something Kion used to say." Zuri said, "I bet he would have been proud."

"Heh, yeah," Kiara sighed her mood instantly becoming depressed, "I'm... sure he would." Like she needed to be reminded about, Kion. He and his guard left a few years ago for some "special training" that he needed to complete to make the Lion Guard like it once was, or so she was told. Everyone missed him, but none more than Kiara. Sure, he could be an annoying stick in the mud bonehead at times, but she loved him and he loved her. Pride Rock... just wasn't the same without him and his friends. Thinking about him made Kiara groaned internally. The last thing she needed was more painful memories.

Seeing that mentioning Kion made Kiara's mood drop, Tifu shot Zuri one of those, 'you just had to open your mouth' looks. Zuri gritted her teeth and began to think of something else to say, realizing the mistake she made. Luckily, Tiifu had her covered.

"So... um... How are things going with you and Kovu?" Tiifu asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Things have been good." Kiara replied, trying hard to suppress her sadness while in front of her friends, "We've been going out for some time. My dad just recently started teaching him about the royal duties and-"

"Has he proposed yet?" Zuri blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Zuri!" Tiifu scolded.

"What? I can't help it!" Zuri whined, "You know I'm a sucker for romance! Just think: a prince and a princess, born in two separate worlds, somehow finding their way together. Their warring families rejected their forbidden love for each other, so they ran away together, then returned and brought peace to the land and lived happily ever after! Eeeeee! I just get all giddy just thinking about it!"

Kiara just chuckled and shook her head in amusement as Zuri bounced around in excitement. Even after all this time, her friends were still like those small girly cubs she grew up with. She was glad that they were still in her life.

"He hasn't proposed yet," Kiara answered, "I'm sure he's just waiting for the right time." This earned a pout from Zuri, who was so eager to see the two get hitched. Tiifu, however, took another approach.

"Ah," Tiifu nodded her head understandably at Kiara's answer, "So you're ok with that?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like there's some due date that we should be married by, plus I'm sure him and the other Outlanders are still trying to adjust to living here."

"Then why the long face?"

Kiara was about to say that everything was fine, but Tifu stopped her: "Come on Kiara, we've know each other since forever. Zuri and I can tell when something is bothering you. If your not upset because your man hasn't committed yet, then what is it?" Kiara was hesitant at first, being caught off guard when she heard Tifu label Kovu as 'her man'. Then there was the big question: should she tell them? They may be able to help her out, and they were less likely to freak out about it. Besides, what did she have to lose?

"Well..." Kiara murmured as she looked at the ground and started to shuffle her paws a bit.

"Well?" Zuri nudged, while Tiifu laid down on the ground and got comfortable as if she was about to be told a story.

"Do you two remember when we were young, like... really young? Before Kion was around?"

"Yeah." Zuri said.

"Bits and pieces." Tifu said, "Why?"

"Was there..." Kiara slowly began, "Was there ever... someone else?" Both lionesses thought hard for a moment, but they both said, "No, not really." Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere, Kiara decided to explain.

"I don't know why, but for some reason I've been having these dreams of when I was really little, and there would always be this cub in it."

"A cub?" Zuri asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Do you know who?" Tifu asked.

"That's just it." Kiara responded, sounding defeated, "I don't know who he is. He always appears as a gold blur, but I could tell he was the size of a cub and he spoke with such a soft voice. He would always be telling me not to worry or asking if I'm doing ok, but I have no idea who he is or if this is just something from my imagination."

"Weird." Was all her Zuri could say, not really knowing how to respond to what she was told.

"Have you thought about asking King Simba about this?" Tiifu asked.

"No way!" Kiara said quickly, shaking her head in dismay, but still smiling at the thought, "My dad would probably freak out if I told him. You know how he is with visions and dreams. Besides, if it really was something from when I was young, he would have told me about it. Right?"

"Well..." Tiifu said, thinking about that response, "I guess, but it wouldn't hurt to try. I mean, he is your dad. He might know what's going on." At this point, Kiara honestly didn't know what to think. Sure, Tiifu's words made sense, but she still wasn't entirely sure about it. She was an adult now, and though she respected her father and talked to him about pretty much everything, she didn't want to go to him every time she had a problem like some dependent cub.

"Hello everyone," a voice behind them suddenly spoke up, "Is everything alright?" Kiara and her friends looked back to see none other than the Lion King himself, Simba, standing there with a smirk on his face. Instinctively, she and her friends panicked a bit.

"Everything's fine, Dad!" Kiara blurted out as she stood up straight.

"Everything is great your highness!" Tiifu said, following in Kiara's example.

"Eeep!" Zuri squeaked. She didn't know what to do. She was always nervous when it came to talking with the king.

"So ladies," Simba chuckled heartily, more so at how Zuri was shaking so much. She always did that when he was addressing her or her friends, "What are you all doing up so early?"

"Oh, you know," Kiara said, going back to her cheerful attitude so that her dad wouldn't suspect anything, "Just girl talk, catching up on some stuff."

"I see." Simba said as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter. She was giving him that smile; that innocent, toothy grin that she would always give him whenever she was hiding something. "You sure nothing's wrong?"

"Oh, Simba, you can't go one day without fretting over our daughter now can you?" A feminine voice said from behind the king, "She's a young adult now. You don't have to pry on every single conversation she has with her friends." Simba sighed as a tan cream furred lioness walked up beside him as she gazed into his amber red eyes with her teal colored ones.

"I know, Nala." Simba sighed at his mate, knowing that she was probably right. In his mind, time was just going by to fast for the Lion King. One day he's holding his baby girl in-between his paws, then the next she's approaching adulthood. It was a bit much for Simba to take in sometimes. "I'm sorry, princess." Kiara responded by walking up to her father and nuzzling his head with hers; her way of telling him that everything was alright.

"Ohhhhh," Zuri gasped as she began to tear up at the sight of Kiara hugging her dad, "Family moments always gets me emotional."

"Everything gets you emotional." Tiifu muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Zuri asked her friend, making sure she heard her right. Tiifu stiffened and replied: "Uh, nothing!"

Just then, two other lions walked up Pride Rock and approached the group. One was a male lion with chestnut brown fur, and deep dark brown mane, and green emerald eyes; and the other was a lioness with tan fur, a slender muzzle, blue eyes, and a small patch of long fur hanging a bit over her forehead. It was the Outlander prince, Kovu and his sister, Vitani.

"Hello everyone," Kovu greeted cheerfully while his sister just kept a frown on her face as she silently walked beside her brother.

"Kovu!" Kiara exclaimed excitedly before racing towards the young lion and nuzzling his head.

"Hey Kiara," Kovu smiled at the lioness, "How was your morning?"

"It was ok. I was just hanging out with..." Kiara began to explain before she realized something, "Oh! I never got to introduce you to my friends." Kiara motioned him over to the two lionesses before introducing them: "Kovu, this is Zuri and Tiifu. Two of my best friends that I grew up with."

"It's a pleasure." Kovu greeted politely with a bow.

"The same to you, Prince Kovu." Tiifu said, mimicking Kove's polite bow.

"Any friend of Kiara's is a friend of ours." Zuri added in. Kiara was then about to say something, but before she could, Simba cut her off.

"I know you all probably have a lot to catch up on," the Lion King said, "But don't forget, Kiara, we have to be somewhere very soon." At first, Kiara looked at her father with a puzzled look, but then she exclaimed: "Oh no!" in frustration, realizing what her father meant, "I completely forgot about today." On the side lines, her friends looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Zuri asked, wonder what was going on.

"It's part of Kiara and Kovu's royal training for today." Simba explained, "We are just taking a little field trip to see Rafiki at his tree. Of course you both are more than welcome to join us."

"We would love to!" Zuri exclaimed in excitement. She just loved hanging out with the Kiara's parents, they all made her feel like she actually was part of the family. Unfortunately, Zuri's happy moment was cut short when Tiifu grabbed her left ear with her paw and pulled her back besides her.

"Ow..." Zuri whined. It didn't hurt that bad, but it was always annoying when she did that to her, "What was that for?"

"Zuri," Tiifu scolded her as if she was her mother, "If we go out with them, then who's going to help lead the hunting party?"

"Oh," Zuri responded, realizing what Tiifu was telling her, "Right."

For a while now, Nala had been letting some of the other young lionesses in the pride, including her own daughter, take charge at times leading the hunting party. It was the queen's way of determining who would be properly suited to take charge of leading the hunts once she retired. Out of the entire pride, Zuri, Kiara, and Tiifu lead the most hunts and were the most eager to volunteer. Using the lessons they learned from Queen Nala, they did very well for their first time acting as leaders. Now that Kiara and her family were going to Rafiki's tree for most of the day, they figured that it would be a good opportunity to take charge of the daily hunting party... again.

"Thank you for the offer, your majesty," Tiifu said politely, "but I think it would be appropriate if Zuri and I stay behind so that you all come home to a big dinner." Kiara and Nala smiled and shook their heads in amusement. They knew those two just wanted to look important and responsible in the Lion King's eyes. It wasn't something they did because they were stuck up or wanted any special attention, Tifu and Zuri just wanted Simba's respect and trust.

"Are you sure girls?" Simba asked, "We can have one of the others-" Before Simba could say another word, Tiifu walked up and put her paw over his muzzle, causing Simba to scrunch up his nose in annoyance.

"Tut, Tut! Not another word, your majesty." Tiifu said in a motherly tone, "You all have been working so hard these last couple of weeks, you all deserve some time together as a family." Kiara, Nala, and Kovu snickered at the sight of Tiifu acting like she was some nanny who was looking after the Pride Land's ruler. Whenever there was something that needed to be done, she would be there and would act as if she was the queen of this place. It was quite humorous to watch, but others didn't find it quite amusing.

"To think," Vitani grumbled in a low voice, "All our training and we still couldn't take down this pack of spineless sissies."

"Vitani!" Kovu responded gruffly, nudging her hard in the ribs. Luckily, no one heard her comment, but Kovu was still not pleased with what she said. Though his entire pride had now lived in the Pride Lands for months now and everyone seemed to have adjusted to the change nicely, Vitani was still adjusting to being a Pridelander instead of an Outlander.

"Be polite," Kovu warned her, "These are all Kiara's friends."

"Kiara's friends," Vitani pointed out, "Not mine." That time, Simba and the others heard her and looked back to see Kovu's sister walking away from the group.

"Hey," Kiara called out to the gruff lioness, wondering if something happened that offended her, "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere other than here." Vitani responded, as she continued walking in the other direction.

"But, sis..." Kovu called out. This time Vitani turned and looked at them all. Her expression wasn't angry, but it definitely wasn't happy. It was more of a look someone would have when they were annoyed, and Vitani wore it well. Looking at Kovu, she gestured her head to Kiara and said in a calm tone: "Go on, I'm sure your girlfriend is a lot better company then me."

"But don't you want to come?" Kiara asked, sounding sincere, "You know you're family too." Vitani just shook her head.

"Nah," she said as she waved her paw dismissively at everyone, "I got some issues of my own to work out, and the last thing I need is to be looked over by that psychotic monkey." She was about to walk away, but as she glanced back once more at Kiara's two glory hounds, a thought came to her mind which caused a evil smile to crack on her muzzle.

"Besides," she continued, "Someone has to make sure we have something around here to eat, and these two need to be shown how to actually hunt for their food."

"Excuse me?!" Zuri exclaimed. Vitani's smile grew wider and her eyes narrowed on the two so called 'Leaders of the Hunting Party' who were now giving her death glares. Today may not be a total loss after all.

"I'm just saying," Vitani shrugged nonchalantly, "We have to have a few experienced hunters around here or else we all would probably starve. I mean seriously, those two can't even hunt a gecko without whining about a chipped claw or cramped leg."

"Oh no she did-n't!" Tiifu exclaimed as she cocked her head side to side.

"Oh no..." Kovu said under his breath. He knew what Vitani was doing. For some reason his sister always took pleasure in pressing other people's buttons and then showing them up. She used to do it all the time in the Out Lands with Nuka. Now that he's gone, she just found 2 new people to harass and torment. This was not going to go well.

Simba, Nala, and Kiara on the other hand merely watched in amusement. Despite the lioness being distant most of the time, they got to know Vitani while she stayed with them; and Kovu did warn them of her testy personality, but assured them that her teasing was never meant to offend. It was just her way of... well... it was just Vitani being Vitani.

"Are you saying we can't hunt?" Zuri growled.

"Your words, not mine." Vitani continued, "But... if I were to use words, I would use those." Both lionesses stomped on over to Vitani, who was enjoying every second of this, and growled in her face. Though they were trying to intimidate her, Vitani didn't even flinch. She had been stared down several times by her mother, Zira in the past; and compared to her, these two were like toothless newborns trying to give her a death threat.

"You can't talk to your superiors like that!" Tiifu said, her tone taking on a more angry tune.

"Yeah!" Zuri said backing her friend up, "That is insub... insuborma... insuboren? No..." Zuri, couldn't think of the word.

"Insubordination, genius." Vitani rolled her eyes. Boy, it was a miracle these two were born in the Pride Lands; the Out Lands would have eaten them alive... literally. Knowing that this joke had gone on far enough, Vitani decided to make a suggestion to the two lionesses before her: "If you don't believe me, then let's make a deal: by the end of the day, if both of you have more kills then me alone, I'll take back everything I said about you two not being good hunters, but if I win, I get to lead the hunting party next time." Without even thinking, both lionesses exclaimed in unison: "You're on!" and darted down Pride Rock.

"Sorry to leave so soon, Kiara!" Tiifu called over her shoulder, "But we got to teach this mane-less male over there who the real pros are!"

"Yeah!" Zuri called out, "Her insuberdumating will not be tolerated!"

"Insubordination!" Vitani corrected again.

 **"** WHATEVER!" Zuri called back, more annoyed than before.

"By girls!" Kiara called back to them, "Hope the hunt goes well!" As Kiara's two friends quickly ran through the savannah, Kovu looked back at his sister and saw that her body was shaking, mostly due to trying to suppress her laughter.

"Do you really think you can get more food than they can before sun down?" Kovu asked, wondering just what was going on in his sister's evil mind.

"Maybe... maybe not," Vitani shrugged, "but honestly I just wanted those two to just leave. Seriously, if I have to listen to them one more time announce to everyone about how they are best friends with the royal family, then I'll rip my ears off and feed them to some starving predator!" Everyone laughed at her comment, but though all of this was quite funny, Simba had to address something.

"I know we would all like to stay and chat some more," he stated, "but we should really be heading out now."

"Of course, your majesty." Vitani bowed her head to Simba on a mock attitude, "forgive me for taking up your family's precious time. I grovel at your feet, o mighty one."

"Was that supposed to be Tiifu?" Kiara raised an eyebrow noticing how similar Vitani's tone and stature was when she said that.

"Perhaps..." Vitani said with a sly smile, earning a laugh from Simba and his family.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the royal family walked down Pride Rock and began making their way towards Rafiki's tree, leaving Vitani alone at Pride Rock where she would enjoy they rest of her morning in peace and quiet.

 **End of Chapter 1**

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 **So not bad for a beginning, right? Wonder what Simba has planned for the everyone at the Rafiki's tree. Only one way to know and that's to read the next chapter... Wednesday.**

 **Author Update:**

 **Also, if you decide to review then please keep your comments respectful. This is my first story and I'm trying to grow in my writing skills. I appreciate feedback and I accept it whether it's positive or negative; but out of respect for the other readers coming in and browsing through the review section, please keep your comments clean of profanity. I can't stress that enough.**

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 **Reader Reviews:**

 ***crickets chirping* Should have seen this coming, being the first chapter and all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Surprise!**

 **bonus chapter in bound!**

 **Don't worry, a new chapter will still be posted this Wednesday, but I just couldn't help myself. I know how it is to wait for and updated story, so this is just a little icing on the cake for this new series.**

 **Ok, moving right along.**

 **Remember, please review at the end of each chapter. Whether it's noticed spelling errors or pointing out something important that I missed; I welcome it all!**

 **(Just keep it clean. Ok?)**

 **either way, Reviews give life to this story and my muse.**

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 **Ch. 2 Viewing the Past**

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Simba and his family continued to walk eastward, not stopping for anything. Soon the land they journeyed through began to change from green and ripe, to dry and barren. Many memories flooded Kovu's mind as he viewed and felt the land around him. The coarse wind, the rocky terrain, the cracked ground: it all reminded him of the terrible home he once lived in. Still, there were patches of grass here and there, so there was still signs of life, but to Kovu, it still reminded him of his past life that he once lived in with Vitani and Nuka.

 _Heh... Vitani._

She was pretty much all that he had left from his old life. True, living in the Out Lands, struggling to survive, made everyone in Zira's pride band together, but Vitani was his sister. She was one of the very few who he could sit down and talk to whenever he was feeling down, or needed some company after Zira's training. Looking back at the past few months he admitted that, he had been spending a lot of time with Kiara and Simba and less time with his sister. Maybe... that's why she wasn't as adjusting as quickly as the others in the pride. She was just... missing her brother.

Suddenly, the sound of Simba's voice snapped Kovu out of his daydream.

"Are you alright, Kovu? You are very quiet this morning." Kovu looked over at Simba and nodded, "Yes sir. I just… I've just had a lot on my mind lately. But remind me again why you guys are up so early in the morning?"

"Son," Simba replied, "it is our family's duty to rise with the sun before anyone else."

"Then how come Timon and Pumba slept in today?" Simba just grinned at Kovu's responded.

"Those two don't really care much for Rafiki's place. Timon still thinks that if he get anywhere near him Rafiki will whack him on the head with his stick."

"Who can blame him?" Kovu replied, "That guy still gives me the creeps at times."

"Oh, don't worry dear," Kiara said, listening in on her father and Kovu's conversation, "Stick by me. I'll keep you safe."

"Heh, yeah?" Kovu asked moving in close to Kiara's personal space, "The same way you protected me from that snake the other day?" Kiara blushed and became annoyed when she saw a sly smile come on Kovu's face, knowing very well what he was talking about.

"Hey! That thing could have killed me!" She snapped back. Kovu busted out laughing, knowing very well that wasn't the case.

"He was just a foot long, and he wasn't even poisonous!" In saying that, Kovu wrapped his tail around hers, and gave her a lick on the cheek, which made Kiara blush, "Still I thought it was cute."

"Cut it out you two," Nala scolded, in a kind motherly way, "There will be time for that later; we're here." As the group of lions looked up ahead, they saw it, The Tree of Life. Everyone was lost for words. Kovu had never seen such a massive tree in his entire life. Kiara had seen it before when she was young, but Simba would not allow her to go anywhere near it; for it was very dangerous back then to travel from Pride Rock to the shaman's home. But now that the danger was gone, Simba decided to show everyone where the old shaman lived and what he did there.

"Woooow!" Kovu exclaimed excitedly as he looked the tree. Simba couldn't help but smile as he looked at Kovu's energetic expression. It was like looking at an overgrown cub who had just learned about the Great Kings of the Past. Kovu quickly walked up to the tree, marveled by its size and majesty. "It's so huge!"

"Wait until you see the inside!" a voice called out. Everyone looked up to see a young mandrill sitting on one of the many outstretched branches. He had blue stripped cheeks, red running across his forehead and down his nose, and yellow rings around his eyes. It was clear that he was much younger than Rafiki, seeing as how he was smaller, spoke in a different accent, and had small patches of black hair on his head, running down to his chest. He must have been Rafiki's apprentice.

"Hello Marifa," Simba greeted, "Is Rafiki home?"

"Of course he is," Marifa replied, "but what are you doing standing out there? Come on in and make yourselves comfortable."

"That's a joke right? Kovu asked as he raised an eyebrow, "Do you expect us to climb up? We're not leopards you know."

"Oh… I knew I forgot something," Marifa said jokingly while he slapped himself, "How silly of me. I forgot to unlock the door." In saying that, Marifa leaped from his branch and began to freefall.

Everyone, except for Simba, gasped; thinking that Marifa was going to crash. But before he hit the ground, he grabbed on to a nearby vine that was hanging down from the tree. The young apprentice slid down the vine with both speed and grace. When he got to the bottom and planted his feet firmly on the ground, he gave a quick tug on the vine. Then something clicked inside the tree, and a section of it opened, revealing a secret passage way inside.

Marifa then gave a polite bow, motioned to the entrance and said, "After you." Simba and his family cheered at Marifa's performance.

"Pffft! I knew he was going to do that." Kovu said while rolling his eyes.

"Of course you did, dear." Kiara chided, in a rather sarcastic tone, "Still, I thought it was cute." Using her boyfriend's choice of words from before earned her a disgruntle, yet playful, growl from Kovu. Yep, now they were officially even.

One by one, the lions entered into the narrow passageway that spiraled upwards to the center of the tree. As they walked, Kiara asked her father, "Hey, Dad Just out of curiosity, why are we here again?"

Simba looked back at his daughter and said, "Today, I'm going to show you all, where we store our history, and the keeping of such histories." As they got to the top, everyone gazed in awe at the room they were in. All around the walls, there were pictures of animals. There were zebras, kudu, elephants, buffalo, wilder-beast, and of course, lions. As Simba and his family gazed upon the endless wave of pictures, Marifa came walking in carrying his own staff, which had feathers tide on the tip instead of fruit.

"Welcome everyone!" he announced, "To the Tree of Life, and its' Hall of History!"

"Oh Marifa," Nala gasped, "This place… it's amazing!"

"It's beautiful!" Kiara said.

"Eh," Kovu shrugged, less than impressed, "it's nice, but if you ask me, the monkey has to much time on his hands."

"Please, please hurry," Marifa motioned, leading the group further through the tree, "Master Rafiki is waiting for us." As the group walked through the halls, Simba decided to ask the young apprentice, "What has Rafiki been up to lately?"

"He has been very busy," Marifa stated, "He has been working on his latest drawing for the History Wall. It is almost complete, but as you know, these things take time." As they walked, a certain picture caught Queen Nala's eye. She stopped and looked at the picture for a moment. Quickly, she realized who it was.

"Simba! Come see this!" she called. Simba and the group stopped and went to see what Nala was shouting about. When they got to where Nala was, she pointed out a certain picture on the wall. Simba smiled when he saw the familiar face. The golden fur, that red mane, that faint stain of pink paint across the top of the lion's forehead; it was a picture of himself.

"Well, hello handsome." he said as he got right up next to the picture and posed by it. Everyone laughed in response.

"Wow Dad," Kiara said, "is that you?" Marifa noticed that this section of the History Wall had caught the attention of the group, so he said, "Yes ma'am. This wall here is the history of your father, King Simba."

"Hey look! There I am!" Kovu exclaimed, noticing his picture on the wall.

"Me too!" Kiara followed, noticing herself on the wall as well. Soon everyone was crowding around Simba's section of the tree, trying to see if they were on it. Kovu had to admit, Rafiki did a good job in capturing how he looked.

While everyone was focused on Simba's section of the wall, Kovu suddenly felt a gust of wind blow across his cheek.

 _Kovu..._

He turned his attention to where the wind blew and for a moment, swearing that he heard his name being called. Then his attention fell on the wall on the other side of Simba's. It felt like he was in a completely different place entirely. Though the entire tree was filled with sunlight and well kept paintings, right across from Simba's wall was another wall that was covered in vines and shrubs. For some reason, Kovu couldn't help but be intrigued by how this wall stood out from the rest.

As Kovu got closer to the wall, another small gust of wind blew through his mane as well as the shrubs on the wall. As the loose vines calmly swayed back and forth, Kovu could just barely make out a few bright colors underneath the vines. They were paintings, but Kovu couldn't tell if they were old ones or if they were simply unkempt.

" _You would almost think the monkey was trying to hide something_." Kovu stated in his mind as he stood just a foot away from the wall itself.

"Master Kovu." Kovu jumped when he heard Marifa's voice come right from behind him.

"Jeez! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, sir," Marifa apologized, "But tell me, what is so interesting about this wall?"

"I think there's some kind of painting behind it." Kovu stated.

"Hahahaha!" Marifa chuckled heartily, in response, "I think the sun has gotten to your head sir. I've lived here with Master Rafiki for many years and I can assure you that no-" Tired of Marifa doubting him, Kovu ripped some vines off the wall with his claws, revealing a part of what seemed like a faint painting. Kovu smirked as he watched Marifa's jaw drop in astonishment. The young mandrill had never noticed that part of the tree before, and now he was beating himself up mentally for never addressing his Uncle about it.

"What is this?" Marifa whispered almost inaudibly to himself. Pushing Kovu aside, he began to pull off the remaining foliage around the wall.

It wasn't long before Simba and his family noticed what the mandrill was doing, and soon the room became completely silent as they walked over to where Kovu was. As Marrifa continued to clean the wall, many different pictures began to appear. many of them were old and faded, impossible to tell what they once were, but the one painting that was just barely able to make out was a lion cub who resembled Simba greatly. Marifa was almost done cleaning it when he heard Rafiki call for him.

"Ay!" the shaman shouted as he walked into the room, "I did not send you to get side tracked, I sent you to… by Mufasa's mane!" Marifa had finished cleaning the last part of the wall, and was quite shocked as to what he saw: there were several animals surrounding a golden lion cub who looked exactly like Simba, except he didn't have a mane, but instead a pink streak across his forehead.

"Unbelievable," Simba said as he stared at the wall, "I would never imagine that this would be here… it's been so long."

There was complete silence throughout the room. All eyes were fixed upon the wall, especially Marifa. It was Rafiki's job to maintain and keep the histories of the Pride Lands; that included furnishing and maintaining them, and yet this one particular picture was ill kept and the person in it was unfamiliar to them. But what baffled them the most was that the lion showed a very distinct resemblance to Simba's picture.

"It's been so long," Kiara suddenly stated as she walked up to the wall and stared at the one lion who was in the middle of the other animal pictures, "I can't believe it. I never thought he would end up here."

"Who?" Kovu asked. Kiara smiled back at Kovu as she answered, "Him. Kion. He was the leader of the Lion Guard."

"The Lion Guard?" Kovu repeated the name, trying to remember who they were. "Sounds familiar."

"They were a group that were chosen to protect the Pride Lands." Kiara explained, "Traditionaly, the group was made up of lions, but Kion chose to make his guard up of several different animals. They were all good friends of mine when I was a cub. I even considered them like family." She then started to list them off. "The badger was Bunga, Fuli was the cheetah, Ono the egret, my brother Kion, and the hippo…"

"What?!" Kovu exclaimed in response, "Wait, wait, wait. You have a brother?!" Kiara answered him with a nod. Kovu sat down and took this piece of information in. Kiara had a brother, why couldn't he remember him? Why was he on this particular wall, and why hasn't anyone else talked about him?

Then it hit him. That group that he ran into so many years ago. That cub who's roar was so powerful it sent his family flying to the other side of the Out Lands.

 _That was them._

"Kovu?" Kiara asked, seeing him turn a bit pale, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he answered, trying to sound genially surprised, "I'm fine. But… you have a brother! I never would have known. Where is he? What happened to him?"

"Curious as ever I see." Rafiki stated with an upbeat tone. "You see young Kovu, years ago, Simba and Nala had another child, but unlike Kiara, he did not get presented to the Pride Lands. The reason being, was that Simba did not want Zira to find out he had another son. Later on, Mufasa chose Kion as the new leader of the Lion Guard, a group dedicated to protecting the Pride Lands from any dark force that dare try to upset the Circle of Life. Unlike his predecessors, whose guards were all lions, young Kion made his Guard up of different animals. For many long years, he and his guard protected the Pride Lands, but one day, when Kion was just a teenager, Mufasa sent him on a quest so dat he could continue his training as a Lion Guard. We have not seen them since, but we are all believing that they will come back soon!"

"And how long have they been gone?" Kovu asked.

"Two and a half years," Simba stated with a depressed tone in his voice. "A day doesn't goes by without us thinking about any of them, but we know they will come back one day." He was happy that Kovu was curious about Kion, it showed that he cared; but the Lion King's heart was heavy, for his daughter unknowingly mistaken the cub in the painting for her brother. Though she was right in her assumption, she was also so very wrong. Then he looked back at Kiara and stated, "But Kiara... this cub... it's not him."

"What?" Kiara asked in surprise. If it wasn't Kion then...

"Then who is this lion?" Kovu asked, realizing no one had said a word about the painting other than himself and Kiara. The room fell silent as everyone looked at the painting of the lion. At this point, Kiara admittedly did not know who this lion was. Her first thought was that he was a friend of Kion, but then again, Kion was the only male cub in the Pride Lands at that time. So this cub was a stranger to her. Suddenly, Nala stepped forward, having a sorrowful look on her face as she gazed up at the painting.

"Without him, Kovu," she stated with a cracking voice, "Kiara, and Kion would probably not even be here." Before Kiara and Kovu could pondered what she meant, Nala began to let out small, quiet sobs. All Kiara and Kovu could do was watch in shock as the queen cried. Simba hugged his mate to comfort her. In response, she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Oh Simba…" she softly gasped as her tears started to flow freely down the king's bright red mane.

"I know, dear. I know." was all he said as he too began to let a few tears flow from his amber eyes.

" _What was going on?"_ Kiara and the others thought. It was one thing to see the king and queen break down and cry, but now a few tears were even seen running down Rafiki's face. He never cried. Everyone stared at Simba, Nala, and Rafiki, not understanding what was going on. But it was clear that only they knew who this lion was.

"Uncle?" Marifa finally asked, "Who is this lion?" Another tear streamed down the old baboon's face, as he slowly approached the wall and placed his hand nest to the painting of the lion.

"He was a kind hearted prince," he said with a sad tone in his voice, "who managed to change everything."

"That doesn't exactly tell us who he is." Kovu interrupted. Kiara could tell by Kovu's tone of voice that he was annoyed, and seeing how Rafiki, Simba and Nala were in an emotional mood, that attitude was not going to get them anywhere.

"What Kovu is trying to ask," Kiara said, quickly stepping in for Kovu, "is who was he? Really." Nala pulled her head from Simba's chest, trying to compose herself in front of her children. She looked up at Simba with her bright blue eyes and said, "I think it is time they knew, dear." Simba took a deep breath, knowing in his heart that he had avoided this conversation for some time.

"Before I answer your question," he began, "let me ask you both something." He turned to Kiara first and asked, "Kiara, do you know why I made Timon and Pumbaa follow you wherever you went when you were a cub?"

Kiara thought for a second before answering, "No, not really. I just thought you were trying to be protective."

Simba sighed and said, "Well… that was part of the reason." Then he turned to Kovu and asked, "Did your mother ever tell you about what happened right after I came back and defeated Scar?"

"Of course," Kovu responded, surprised by such an obvious fact that nearly everyone knew, "She said you banished her and her followers because they were still loyal to Scar."

"True…" Simba said, "But she did not have followers to begin with and she served under another before that time." Kiara and Kovu now stared at Simba, wondering what point he was trying to get at. The Lion King then gazed up at the picture and stared at it for some time. Though he smiled as he looked at the picture, his slump posture showed that he was struggling on the inside; as if he was carrying a heavy burden. In his mind, Simba tried to find the right words for what he had to say. It was very important that he explained exactly what was happening.

After a moment of silence he explained, "That lion in the picture… his name is Kopa." He then glanced back at Kiara and Kovu, "You both were only infants at the time, but there were other cubs who entered our pride shortly after my return to the throne. Kopa was one of them." Simba then drew his gaze towards his daughter as he continued. "I... had such a hard time during my early years as king, but Kopa was able to encourage me to keep pressing on, even when things were hard. He was such a kind and compassionate cub; always seeing the good in people, even when no one else could. He even befriended a hyena, and they both did some pretty amazing things together." Simba then turned his gaze back up at the picture and sighed, "Kopa actually used to spend a lot of time with you after you were born, Kiara. How he would have loved to see the beautiful young lioness you have grown into."

"You're kidding…" Kovu said, intrigued by what Simba said, "A hyena loving cub that none of us even heard about ended up on the History Wall? What other secrets are hiding in here?" Kiara elbowed Kovu while giving him a disapproving look for what he just said, but at the same time, she was thinking about what Simba just told them.

The name "Kopa" sounded familiar, but unlike Kion, Kiara had no idea who he was. Kiara glanced back at her father with suspicion. The way he spoke… it completely baffled her. It was clear that, by the tone of his voice, he and this Kopa guy must have been close; but the fact that he had never talked about him before confused her; not to mention the name itself was nagging at her head, like she should actually remember this guy.

Then it hit her. The dreams that she had been having. That blurry figure of a cub that would always come and see her in it. Could that have been Kopa? Kiara still wasn't entirely sure it even was him, but still… there were other questions going on in her mind that she needed to answer before jumping to conclusions.

"I'm sorry Dad, but I never heard of this… Kopa before. Rafiki said that he was a prince, so… was he from another pride? Were his parents close friends of yours? Who exactly was he?" Simba's smile instantly turned into a frown. He looked at his curious, happy, daughter; knowing that what he was about to tell her would probably make her hate him.

"He…" Simba stuttered, trying to find the best way to put it gently to her, "He was… Kiara… *sigh*…he was your older brother." The words that came out of Simba's mouth seemed to echo in the minds of everyone in the tree. Kiara's eyes widened; Kovu's jaw dropped; to think… Kiara has two secret siblings. All the while Rafiki stated in his mind, _"So, Mufasa… that's what you were trying to tell me."_

"I… I have another brother?" Kiara gasped, still trying to take it all in, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me I had an older sibling?"

"Sweetie," Nala said while walking up next to her daughter, "please understand, we only wanted what was best for you, we didn't…"

"What?!" Kiara agitatedly asked while backing away from Nala, "How is not telling me I had an older sibling considered looking out for me?!" Kovu stepped aside. He knew how Kiara got when she was frustrated, and right now, she was about to blow her top off. Simba, however, stepped in and tried to explain this to her the best he could.

"Kiara," Simba said softly. He gently placed his paw on her shoulder; which caused her to look back at him with a glare that would make even a rhino nervous, "Please, just listen. Yes… we kept your brother a secret, but there was a reason for that." He then looked at Kiara with pleading eyes, hoping that his daughter would understand what he was trying to do. "You see Kiara, your mother and I… we just wanted you to experience the childhood that we never had the pleasure to have. We didn't want you going through life having the burden of never knowing someone who cared about you. And it was not just us Kiara. Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, the entire pride didn't want to see our precious little girl, sad and miserable, because her big brother wasn't there with her. I'm… I'm sorry that you are just learning about him now."

Kiara turned away from Simba, unable to look her father in the face. She was furious at him for keeping her in the dark; but, for some reason, his words kept on ringing in her head over and over again. The more she heard it, the more she could see what they were trying to do; and in her heart, she realized why they did it.

She thought about what her father and mother just told her. She knew that this must have been hard for not just her parents, but for her entire pride as well. They took it upon themselves to carry the burden of no longer having a friend… no… a family member around with them; a feeling that they shielded her from ever having.

Thinking about that, made her think back to the day Kion told her that he and the Lion Guard were leaving. It broke her heart to see her brother go off, not knowing if he would ever come back. She grimaced as she imagined how she would have reacted as I child if she learned that her older brother had left her. Knowing that her father was probably feeling terrible at this point, Kiara raised her head and looked at him straight in the eyes.

Simba expected a hateful glare from Kiara, but to his surprise, her eyes were not full of hate… but forgiveness.

"Daddy I…" she choked, trying to find the words, "I understand." Everyone was surprised by Kiara's answer, especially Simba. He was about to say something, but Kiara continued, "You and Mom were just trying to look after me… like you always have. I'm sorry I-"

"No honey," Simba interrupted, "I'm sorry. I should have told you about Kopa a long time ago. It would have probably prevented all this confusion you're experiencing." Having said that, Simba put his paw on Kiara's shoulder and pulled her in close to his chest. Knowing that her father was sorry, Kiara did the same and hugged her father back.

"I love you Kiara," Simba said, "Don't you ever forget that." Everyone else just sat around watching this touching moment between Simba and his daughter. Nala and Rafiki smiled, relieved that Kiara was taking this well. Marifa was also happy, but touching moments always made him cry for some reason. As he sniffed and tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, Kovu, who was right next to him just patted him on the shoulder.

"Um… Dad?" Simba lifted his head and looked at Kiara, who was now smiling gently at him. "I know this might be a sensitive subject… but… what exactly happened to Kopa?" Before Simba even had a chance to answer, Rafiki stepped in.

"What happened?" He exclaimed with glee, "Everything good and wonderful, dat's what!"

"What do you mean?" Kovu asked. Rafiki then motioned to everyone to come in close to him.

"Although he didn't get de chance to leave us a legacy of a king, he did leave us a most interesting tale as his time as a prince." As Rafiki talked, everyone gathered around to hear the story he was about to tell.

"Dis is de story about not one, but three princes. One, who had to learn how to step into de role as a king." in saying that, Rafiki gestured to Simba, "De other, shared his love with others, both friend and foe," he then gestured to Kopa's painting, "and de last was a prince who had everything he needed to succeed, yet threw it away for his own selfish ambitions. Dis my friends is de rise of King Simba.

"De best place to start any story is at de beginning. Our story begins years ago, right after Simba returned to de Pride Lands and dethroned de evil King Scar. As de sun rose on Simba's reign, so too did it rise on de life of a new member in de Pride Lands. For you see, Nala became pregnant with Kopa not long after and it would not be long before she bore de Pride Lands and heir. Ah… I still remember dat peaceful morning."

 **End of Chapter 2**

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 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well now, seems as though there is more to Rafiki's tree then meets the eye, no?**

 **Well, the cat is out of the bag, Kiara is a middle child. Glad she is taking it well though.**

 **FINALLY! Story time with Rafiki! I can't wait to see how 'peaceful' that morning really is.**

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 **Review response:**

 **Anonymous: Yeah I know the first chapter was posted early. I was going for a Santa Clause approach to it: Getting a present ready for when everyone wakes up they have something to look forward to.**

 **yingyangmaster: Glad you like it and thanks for the support. Since this will be more of a flashback kind of story, Kion will probably not have much of a role to play in it, but that doesn't mean the Lion Guard won't have a role to play. :P.**

 **Same with Vitani, she will be in it, but she won't exactly have a major role in the story as a whole. But you can't count on her being in it.**

 **Carol: appreciate it, and I hope you keep up with the upcoming chapters.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all, sorry that it's this is being posted so late. Me and my folks were driving from Florida and the trip took longer than expected, plus the computer had some issues, but as promised here is chapter 3!**

 **From here on out I'm going to upload every Wednesday just to keep this series consistent.**

 **Hope you all enjoy and please read and review.**

 **The more reviews the better the content!**

 **Now, on with the story!**

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 **Ch. 3 A Princes' Welcome**

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 _ **(Months after Simba's return to Pride Rock.)**_

"Ooowwww…."

"Nala? Are you ok?"

"Yes Simba, but… ooo… this may be a while."

It was early in the morning, and Simba, along with his two pals Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog, paced back and forth at the entrance of the cave, anxiously waiting for Nala and the baby. It was amazing how just a few months ago, Simba was living out in an oasis without a care in the world, and now he was back in his old home. He was now a king, a husband, and soon, a father.

It was so sudden at first, hearing that Nala was pregnant. About a month after the retake of Pride Rock, as well as Simba and Nala's marriage, Rafiki declared that Nala was with child. The pride was ecstatic at the thought of little paws once again running around Pride Rock. It would be just like when Simba and Nala were cubs. Timon and Pumbaa both had opposite opinions on the matter. Pumbaa was excited for Simba and thought it would be great to watch over a little cub again; Timon, on the other hand, recalled all of the more... _eventful_ times when Simba was a cub. The thought of having to deal with another energetic, trouble maker did not really set his mind at ease, but he was happy for Simba none the less. And then there was Simba himself...

The moment he heard the news, he did not know what he was feeling. Excited? Anxious? Scared? Proud? He wasn't too sure he was ready for the responsibility of parenthood; he was still getting used to the responsibility of being king. Still, his mother, Sarabi encouraged him that the pride would help him and Nala along the way, even though Nala had to admit that she herself was nervous to the prospect of raising a child. The way Simba figured: he had just returned and fought his uncle as well as an army of hyenas, so raising a cub should at least be a cake walk in comparison... right?

The hours past and still, Simba and his friends were waiting at the entrance, unsure of how things were going. Rafiki suddenly came out of the cave, carrying his walking stick. Simba quickly rushed over to him and franticly asked, "How is she?! Is she ok?! Is the baby ok?! When…"

"Calm down your highness," Rafiki laughed, "De pregnancy is going well. Your queen is doing just fine..."

"OOOOHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone cringed at the sound of Nala's roar of pain; while Rafiki quickly dashed back into the den to assist her.

"Yeesh!" Timon said as he cleared his right ear with his finger, "She's acting like she just got stepped on by an elephant."

"Timon!" Simba growled, picturing in his mind what Timon said about Nala, "You're not helping!"

"Whaaaat, I was only kidding. Geeze, lighten up pal." Seriously, Timon new Simba was now the king, but ever since he left their paradise back at the oasis, his fun-going carefree cub turned into quite the stuck up, serious adult.

"I can't lighten up Timon." Simba shook his head, "How can I… I mean… I'm about to become a father."

"We know what you're going through, Simba." Pumbaa said, trying to cheer up his stressed friend.

"Yeah," Timon chimed in, "You think it was easy for us when you came into our lives?"

"Gaargh! You guys just don't get it!" Simba groaned. They may have taken him in when he was a kid, but they always taught him to let loose and have no worries; Simba would have to teach his cub that and _more_. He wanted to give this cub the life that he should have had, to keep him from making the same mistakes he made when he was younger... but most of all, he wanted to raise him to be the lion that his father would have wanted. Timon and Pumbaa just looked at their distressed friend as he went back to his frantic back and forth pacing.

They hated seeing him like this and were now wondering what they could do to cheer him up. That's when Timon had an idea. Simba just needed a little reminder of what their _old motto_ meant. Gingerly, Timon started to lightly tap his foot on the ground and began to hum, "hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm… what a wonderful phrase…"

"Hakuna Matata," Pumbaa joined in quietly, "ain't no passin' craze." Soon the two were singing there old song and hoped that their old pal would join in.

"It means no worries, for the rest of your days!" Simba had to admit, although he felt anxious from waiting for Nala; that old song started to lighten his mood. He had some pretty fun times back in the day with his friends, and even though he was now stepping into his new role as a king, he supposed it wouldn't hurt if he acted a bit care free. It might even relieve some pressure off of his shoulders. Soon he started tapping his paws to the rhythm, and it wasn't long until he started singing right beside them.

"It's our problem freeeeeeee, philosophyyyyyy, Hakuna Matata!"

Simba began to feel less tense as he sang; but all that quickly ended when he heard laughter. He looked back at the cave to see Rafiki laughing his head off; while hanging onto his staff to keep himself from falling over. Simba knew that he was laughing at what they were doing, but he didn't care; he had other things on his mind. He calmly walked over the Rafiki, who at this point composed himself.

"Nala… how is she?" he asked. Rafiki pointed to the entrance of the cave with his staff and said, "Go on in. Your queen and son would very much like to see you." A smile grew on Simba's face when he heard those words.

"A son? I'm… I'm a father!" He quickly ran into the den with his head held high and with a newfound sense of pride.

"Hey! Wait up Simba!" Pumbaa called out as he ran after him, while Timon rode on his back.

"Slow down pal!" Timon shouted as they caught up to him, "You're acting like you're about to be run over by a stampede." No sooner the meerkat said that, there was a rumble in the cave that caused everyone to stop. Timon's gaze instantly went to Pumbaa.

"Pumbaa! I thought I told you to eat before we left?"

"It's not me Timon." The three then looked back at the entrance to see what was making that rumbling sound. A chill ran down their spines as the saw twenty lionesses charging right at them.

"Hit the dirt!" Timon shouted as he ducked behind Pumbaa. Before Simba could even react, he and his friends were caught in a cloud of dust, caused by the pounding of paws running over them. When the lionesses were gone, Simba and his friends were lying on the ground, bruised and battered from being caught in the middle of the miniature stampede.

"Ohhhh… what happened," Pumbaa groaned as he got up off the ground.

"I'll tell you _what happened_!" Timon snapped as he brushed himself off, "Some wise-guy leaked word that there was going to be a new cub in the Pride Lands. Look!"

The three looked up to see the crowed of lionesses had gathered around Nala, trying to get the first look at the new born cub. Simba couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't see a single lioness waiting outside of the den with him. Where in the world did they come from and how did they get here so fast?! Timon and Pumbaa tried to push their way through, but there was just too many lionesses.

"Hey! Out of the way!" Timon shouted as he pulled the tail of a random lioness, "Why don't you go-" the lioness suddenly turned around and barred her teeth at the meerkat, making Timon step back slowly with his hands raised, "Go... go _back_ to what you were doing... heh." Timon said nervously. The lioness gave a huff before returning to trying to push through the crowed to see the new cub.

At this point, Simba decided to try and take a more subtle approach. after all, he was the king. His subjects wouldn't dare ignore him.

"Um, excuse me ladies," Simba said politely, "I would _very much_ like to see my son so if you don't mind. I-" It was no use. Simba's words were drowned out by the constant chatter of the lionesses gushing over Nala and the new prince.

"Awwwww! He is so Cuuute!"

"He looks just like his father."

"Oh Nala, he's adorable!"

"Hey! Move it sister! I was here first!" It was clear that none of them were moving. Not even for their new king.

Suddenly, Pumbaa got an idea.

"Don't worry fellas," he said triumphantly, "I'll get us through to Nala!" The warthog then started to slowly back up towards the lionesses. Upon seeing this, Simba and Timon's eyes widened and they began to panic as they made an effort to stop him.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold your fire Mr. Pig!" Timon exclaimed as he franticly flailed his arms about. Luckily, Pumbaa heard him and stopped before he could do whatever he was about to do. "Look pall," Timon explained, "I want to get to Nala just as much as you do, but what did I tell you about 'Operation Gas Bomb?'" Pumbaa thought for a second before realizing what Timon meant. Bowing his head glumly, he said, "Use only in life threatening situations and never against women and children?"

"Exactly," Timon said, "And right now, that's all that is here! Not to mention you'd probably hit Nala and Simba Jr. in the process."

 _"Simba Jr.?"_ Simba asked as he raised an eyebrow at his friends.

"What?" Timon responded innocently, "It was better than the name Pumbaa picked out for him." Pumbaa frowned when he heard that.

"What's wrong with Grubs?" Pumbaa asked, causing Simba to laugh uncontrollably. He and Nala had already gone through an entire list of names for the cub and had already decided on the names they would choose. It warmed his heart to know that his best friends also had ideas of their own for his cub.

Though Nala was being crowded by her fellow lionesses, she could hear the commotion that Simba, Timon and Pumbaa were making in order to get to her. She was exhausted from the labor, but even after the cub was born she knew the experience was far from over. She had expected the pride to come in and fawn over her and the cub. Sarabi used to tell her about the time Simba was born and how Mufasa had struggled to maintain order so that he could at least get a glimpse of Simba as a newborn. Though she kept her new cub as hidden as best as she could from the other lionesses, knowing that he would want to be the first to see their new addition, she knew that this would be a storm that both of them had to ride out together.

"Sorry honey," Nala said as she tried to see her husband through the thick crowed, "you might have to wait a little longer." Upon hearing those words, Simba felt like he was about to cry. All morning he had been waiting for this moment, and now that his new son was here he had to wait a little longer?! Luckily he wasn't the only one who wanted to get through the crowed.

A sudden, sharp whistle echoed throughout the entire cave, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look back to see who it was. An old lioness with light brown fur, and dark rings under her brown eyes, came walking out from a dark corner of the cave and went straight towards the crowed.

"Move aside ladies," Sarabi said, marching towards the group with her head held high, "proud grandmother coming through." Almost automatically, the other lionesses got out of her way; creating a straight path towards Nala. Simba lightly chuckled to himself as he followed closely behind his mother. When they finally got to Nala, Sarabi turned back to Simba and said, "And that, my son, is how you get through a crowed of cub loving lionesses."

"Noted." Simba said as he gently nuzzled Sarabi's head. Then he turned to his mate, Nala, who was smiling back at him. "Where is he?" Simba asked, with an excited tone in his voice. Nala just looked down and Simba followed her gaze. Nestled in between her paws was the newborn, though to Simba, he looked like a small golden ball of fur. Nala gently licked the cub causing him to turn over on his side, showing everyone his face. Everyone awed as the sleeping cub yawned in his mother's paws and snuggled himself into her fur.

"Nala…" Simba gasped, lost for words at this touching moment, "Nala he's beautiful." Simba then bent down to get a better look at his son. He had Simba's same golden fur, while at the same time inherited Nala's tan muzzle and underbelly. This was their son. Their son… it took a moment for the thought to sink into Simba's head. Part of him still couldn't believe that this small bundle of fur was actually a cub. In reality, this was the first time he had ever seen a newborn.

"He's so small." he said as he laid down next to Nala and nuzzled her head.

"I remember a time when you were that small, my son." Sarabi chuckled.

"Mooom, cut it out." Simba whined playfully, though everyone knew he wasn't really offended. Everyone laughed at Simba's remark. The old, retired queen enjoyed talking about the time's when Simba was a cub, it always lifted her spirit. And now, she would be able to relive all those moments with her new grandson. The mere thought of it made Sarabi's heart flutter.

Then Sarabi asked, "So, does he have a name yet"? Nala smiled back at her mother in-law and said, "We have been going through a long list of names, and I think we know the perfect one for our little boy." As Nala was talking, the cub started to open his eyes and look at the world around him. When he saw Simba's face, he smiled and reached out with his small paws towards him. Somehow he instantly knew who his father was.

Simba saw that his son had just woken up and was now looking at him intently with wide amber eyes. Simba then lowered his head next to the infant cub and gently nuzzled his small body before announcing his name.

"My pride, my joy, my heart… Kopa."

"What at fine name for a young prince." Sarabi smiled

"Whaaaaaaahaha! Whaaaah!" everyone looked back to see Timon and Pumbaa bawling hysterically.

"T-That's so beautifu-u-l!" Timon cried.

"Our little Simba's all grown up!" Pumbaa sobbed as he hugged Timon. Everyone busted out laughing at the hilarious act that Timon and Pumbaa were putting on. It took a while to settle everyone down; but when they were once again calm, Sarabi decided to point something out.

"I know one thing, when little Nuka comes back he will have a new friend to play with." Upon saying that name, the once happy room suddenly became tense. Everyone looked at the retired queen with uneasy faces; all except for Simba, who had no idea who his mother was talking about.

"Nuka?" he repeated the name while still puzzled, "Who's that?" Nala started to shift uncomfortably when Simba mentioned that name. There was a long silence, until Nala spoke up.

"He's the son of Zira; a lioness who joined our pride not that long ago." Simba looked at Nala, confused by the sudden change from a happy to a disgruntle mood. Besides that, he never knew anyone in the pride by the name Zira and he had not seen any cubs in the Pride Lands since he returned.

"Where are they now?" he asked. The members of the pride just looked at one another in silence, feeling the sudden wave of happiness they felt earlier being turned into dread and worry. Sarabi sighed, knowing that her son would probably not like what he was about to here.

"Simba," she calmly said as she sat by her son's side, "there is something that you need to know." Seeing that his mother appeared to be serious about the matter, he nodded and listened to what she had to say. "A few years before you returned, a group of rogue lions came to the Pride Lands, one of them was a lioness named Zira. At the time, no animal would dare set foot into such a hyena infested death trap, but for reasons we do not know, she and four other male lions did. Scar welcomed them into the pride and they were grateful for his generosity.

"As time progressed, the males began doing Scar's dirty work, mainly watching us and making sure we and the hyenas stayed in line. Zira, however, began spending more and more time with Scar until it was clear to all of us what she was doing. Personally I don't know what she saw in that… tyrant… but she wound up falling for your uncle." On the side lines, Timon and Pumbaa began to snicker at the very thought of someone actually liking Scar, let alone loving him.

"She must have been one desperate gall. Am I right?" Timon's joke was answered by sharp glares from the entire pride. Not wanting to end up on the carnivore's bad sides, he quietly slumped back behind Pumbaa.

"Yes," Sarabi continued, "but Scar did not share the same feelings for her. The only thing that he wanted from Zira was an heir." That's when it hit Simba like a rock to the head. He looked back over at Nala, who could tell by Simba's face that he had figured it out. She gave him a deep sigh before nodding her head, confirming Simba's thoughts. Simba looked back at his mother and asked, "Nuka is Scar's son… isn't he?" Sarabi sighed and laid her ears back as she answered her son's question.

"Yes… Nuka is Scar's son, but he is not his heir." Simba looked at his mother, now even more confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "I thought that a ruler's first born…"

"Was meant to be king?" Sarabi finished, "Yes. That is how tradition states it, but as you know, your uncle was not one for tradition. Scar wanted nothing less than a strong healthy male to be his successor. Though Nuka was a boy, he turned out to be a scrawny, weak young cub; a good reflection of his father if I might add. Seeing this, Scar rejected him in being his successor and called Zira a failure for not providing him with a proper heir." Those words that Sarabi said, about Scar rejecting his son for being weak, caused Simba to glance back at his own son, who was now awake and playing with his mother's fur. As he watched Kopa paw at Nala's chest, he just couldn't fathom why anyone, even Scar, could have no love towards something as precious and innocent as a child. Of course, Scar did try to kill Simba when he was just a cub, so that just showed how heartless he really was.

Sarabi sighed as she continued the tale. "I remember the day that he cast her and Nuka out of the Pride Lands. Realizing that he himself could not produce any strong cubs, he told Zira to go out and find someone who could provide him with a suitable heir. As for the males… we don't know why they left with her. Maybe they were offended with Scar's decision, but none of us truly knew their intent. Since then, we have not seen nor heard anything from Zira, Nuka, or the others who went with them, but I personally have a feeling that they are still out there and will someday return." Simba's eyebrows furrowed as he took in all that his mother told him, along with what she was trying to tell him. It was clear to the young Lion King that even though Scar was gone, there was a chance that those who followed him were still out there and they might return seeking vengeance.

"Ah, let them come back!" Timon shouted from on top Pumbaa's head, "Simba here will just kick their butts all the way to the Elephant Graveyard, just like he did with Scar! Right buddy?" Sarabi was about to respond to Timon's rather… _rash_ … course of action but Simba beat her to it.

"Actually Timon… no." Simba's response surprised everyone, including Nala.

"But… But what if they do come back?" Pumbaa asked. Simba just smiled at his two best friends.

"Well," he began, "I guess we'll just have to give them a chance and see where they stand."

"A chance?!" Timon exclaimed as he hopped off of Pumbaa's head and walked right up to Simba. "A chance to do what; to find out you came back and sent her evil hubby up the river? She'll wind up sending you along with him!"

"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Timon." Everyone looked back at Nala, who staid in the exact same position this entire time, all the while staring down at her son who rested in between her paws. "I don't think it is a good idea to let her stay with us if she comes back… or let Nuka around our son."

"Now Nala," Simba said, "Let's not be too quick to judge. From what I just heard, Zira and her family have been through a lot. I'm sure if Zira and Nuka come back, then they could use a friend or two. What do you think?" Sarabi nodded at her son's suggestion, but Nala was still unsure. She looked down at her happy prince and tried to imagine him being good friends with Nuka; but she couldn't fathom it.

"I… I don't know," She stuttered, "She was just so obsessed with that… that monster. He somehow… I don't know… changed something inside of her." Nala looked up at Simba, who just smiled back at her, "If she ever came back and found out what you did to Scar, I fear she might do something to you; to our…"

"Nala..." Simba softly cut her off, "We don't even know if she will come back, but I promise if she does then we'll have to see how things play out. Either way, I promise I'll not let anything bad happen to our family, not ever again." He then stood to his feet and addressed everyone around him. "I know that things have not been easy around here for quite some time, but now is not the time to think about the past. It is time to build, to dream, and to look to a brighter future. The Pride Lands are starting to once again thrive and the herds are starting to return, and tomorrow morning we will present my son, Kopa as the new prince of the Pride Lands! So let us be happy and celebrate this joyous moment!" Everyone cheered at the king's words for they knew what he said was true. Now was a time to be happy and celebrate; but not everyone was excited about this change.

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While everyone cheered and admired the new prince; right outside the boarders of the Pride Lands, in a small stone den, a scheme was being hatched. In the middle of the den laid a shadowy figure of a lion. The only thing that could be seen were the many scars that covered his body as well as his bright green eyes, which shined like emeralds in the darkness. He merely stared out into the darkness of the cave, thinking, planning, wondering how things could have possibly gotten this far out of hand.

Suddenly, another lion entered the den, causing the shadowy lion to turn to see who had entered. Before him, in the daylight of the cave entrance, stood a grey fur lion with a matching colored mane and yellow eyes.

"Your highness," The grey lion addressed the lion in the dark, "I bring news from the Pride Lands."

"What is it?" The lion in the shadows replied coldly.

"The animals are returning. It would appear that the land has begun to return to its lush state."

"Indeed? So soon?" the shadowy lion replied, with no hint of emotion in his voice. "There is barely any green in the Pride Lands. Despite the return of Mufasa's son, what would drive them to return to their shell of a home so quickly?"

"It…" The grey lion began, hesitant to telling the lion the true reason for the herd's return, "It would appear that word has spread of a presentation that will soon be taking place at Pride Rock."

"Presentation?" the shadowy lion growled, "What presentation?" the grey lion gritted his teeth, knowing exactly how his master would react upon hearing the news.

"The presentation of Simba's son." Instantly an angry roar filled the cave as the lion swiped his paws across the cave walls, sending sparks flying in the darkness, revealing for a moment a singular scar that ran down the shadowy lion's left eye.

 **End of Chapter 4**

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 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!**

 **So Simba is now a father! Champaign for all!**

 **Already we have some antagonists who want to step into the role of villain in this story. Are they old? Are they new? Maybe both? Only time will tell.**

 **Again sorry for the delay. I'll do better next time and please don't forget to leave a review and share with a friend.**

 **See you all next week!**

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 **Review Response:**

 **yingyangmaster: Yeah I really like those family moments. Though I don't think Kiara would suffer with middle child syndrome since Kopa will soon have- (shuts up) nope! Nope! I'm not revealing anything! You'll have to wait till next time, to see what I mean.**

 **Gracekim1: I'm excited to! With all these characters and their personalities, there is no telling what is in store for them. I may be the writer, but many times I let the characters lay out their own stories by their personalities.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a happy Wednesday!**

 **So far This story has gotten over 500 views, which has blown me away! Thank you all so much for checking this sight out.**

 **Y** **et there has been only 9 reviews. Can this story get up to 15 reviews for this chapter? If so, I'll throw in a bonus chapter before the next weeks chapter. I know you can do it!**

 **Here is chapter 4 as promised. Hope you enjoy.**

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 **Ch. 4 Laughter for Hate**

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The next day, the ceremony commenced as scheduled. At first, there were only a few animals who had shown up. Simba began to worry, thinking that it may have been to soon to present his son, after all, the Pride Lands were just starting to get its green life back. Thankfully, the elephants arrived first to the ceremony and they all sent out a trumpeted cheer that could be heard from miles around, as if to announce the arrival of their new king and his heir. After that, the herds and flocks came pouring back into the Pride Lands just in time for Rafiki to present their new prince.

A few weeks had now past since then, and Simba found the moments he spent with his son and queen to be absolutely marvelous. Never did he imagine fatherhood bringing so much joy into one's life. His son quickly learned how to crawl, and it wasn't long until he started to explore the world around him, which caused Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa to constantly be on their toes. Sarabi and Zazu also found a certain happiness come into their lives when Kopa was born. The cub had brought back such precious memories of when Simba was but an infant, and now Sarabi could experience such events for a second time in her life. Between Simba's return and Kopa's birth, it seemed as though things were really looking up for the Pride Lands, but very soon, there would be another unexpected addition to the family.

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Today, Simba, wanted to thank the elephant's pack leader for his timely arrival in the Pride Lands, which encouraged most of the animals to start returning to their old homes. Nala, Sarabi, Kopa, Timon and Pumba tagged along and were hanging out by the nearby waterhole while Simba talked with the elephant's pack leader on the sidelines.

"Thank you once again, dear friend." Simba bowed humbly to the majestic animal, "Without your aid, I doubt the herds would even consider coming back so soon."

"Oh pish posh!" the old elephant huffed, waving his trunk dismissively to the idea that they were the ones responsible, "We merely reminded everyone that the Pride Lands were now, oh how does that saying go… under new management. In all honesty sire, it is we who should be thanking you."

"Me?" Simba asked, being taken back by the sudden gesture.

"Indeed." The elephant nodded, "It was here that I met my mate and became good friends with your father, back during his reign. Then your uncle came in and destroyed what was considered the crown jewel of the entire savannah. Still… even when traveling with my pack, my mind would drift back to the days of my youth in the Pride Lands and I would always remember Mufasa, and a certain cub who would followed him around and who always seemed eager to listen to what he had to say. I knew that cub was destined to become a fine ruler when the time came. I'm just glad the Great Kings have permitted my life to last this long so I could see it with my own eyes." Then, the elephant suddenly lowered his massive body, bent down on her front legs and bowed as low as he could to Simba, "Thank you for restoring the land that was my home, and for giving my family the chance to live in the place of our ancestors."

"I…" Simba was truly touched by the elephant's words. He was at a loss at what to say. "It… was my pleasure, your grace."

" _Your grace_?!" the old elephant bellowed as he erupted in a fit of laughter, "I may be leader of my pack but we are friends, King Simba, just as your father was a good friend of mine. Please, call me Aminifu."

"Very well then… Aminifu." Simba gestured, not knowing how else to respond. True, his mother had been teaching him about the duties and traditions of the king, but still… there was just some things that Simba was still trying to get used to… like being called king in general.

"Now come." Aminifu said, "I want to see the new addition!"

They made their way over the other side of the waterhole, all the while receiving bows and, "your majesties," from the animals they passed. Sarabi and Nala were sunbathing together on a large boulder, while Kopa stayed in the safety of Nala's arms. The young prince was currently watching his uncles, Timon and Pumbaa, as they stood at the edge of the water.

"Now listen, Kopa," Timon instructed the infant, who was watching his uncle intently, "The trick to doing a good cannon ball is to make sure your legs are tucked in tightly to your chest, otherwise you won't make a big enough splash. Observe." Timon stood on the tip of Pumbaa's snout and began to stretch his arms and legs, trying to limber up before the dive. Kopa laughed as he watched Timon twist his body in weird ways that he thought was funny. When Timon was done loosening up, he leapt off Pumbaa's snout and yelled, "Cannon baaaaaaallll!" when Timon hit the water, no one heard a splash, but rather a _splat_.

Kopa began to let out infantile bursts of laughter as he saw Timon's eyes bulge out of his head and his teeth clench together. Only half of his body was sticking out of the water. Nala and Sarabi both stifled a laugh, realizing the mistake that was made. Timon had cannon balled in the shallow part of the pond.

"Uh… Timon?" Pumbaa asked, looking down at his friend "Are you ok?" Timon slowly looked up at his buddy, his teeth still clutched together as he could still feel the pain coursing through his lower section of his body. He then said in a rather high pitched whisper, " _I'm good_."

Kopa decided he wanted to go over to his uncles to see if they could play with him so he began to crawl towards them.

"Aww, where do you think you're going my little prince?" Nala cooed as she watched Kopa get about a few feet out from her, almost to the water's edge, just then a trunk came out of nowhere and lifted up the prince into the air.

"Hold on there, little one," Aminifu said, as the infant squealed in delight by being so far high off the ground, "Your still a bit to young to be away from your mother. You can barely walk yet, let alone swim." Gently he set him back in between Nala's paws before gesturing to the queen.

"Thank you Aminifu." Nala said, while Kopa was giggling in between her paws.

"Anything for the royal family." Then Aminifu looked over at Simba, who had now went and laid beside his mother, with a look of pride on his face. "You have quite the loving family, Simba. You must be very proud." Simba smiled and nodded his head at his new friend. He had no idea the joy that he felt with Kopa now in his life. Aminifu then looked at Sarabi, giving the retired queen a knowing smile. "Your boy tries so hard to please." He said, "He does his father's name proud, Sarabi."

"I know." Sarabi smiled at her son, who in return nuzzled her head. It had been so long since Sarabi had been so content, so happy. For years she mourned the loss of her son and husband, not knowing how she was going to move on from such a tragedy. Thanks to Nala and the rest of the pride, however, they gave her a new resolve: to preserve the Pride Lands and to help each other survive in the barren lands. It seemed hopeless at first, but when her son returned back from the dead and retook the throne, Sarabi knew it was all worth it. Now, old and tired, all she wanted to do was spend each and every moment with her son and his family and enjoy being close to her new grandson.

"a-gen!" Kopa squealed, enjoying the short ride Aminifu gave him.

"Again?" Nala asked, smiling as her son nodded his head in response, "I think you've had enough excitement for one afternoon my little prince. Besides, it's time for your bath." At first, Kopa began to squirm, wanting to get out of Nala's grip so that he could get to the elephant, but once she began to gently lick the top of his head with her tongue, he began to calm down.

"Unbelievable." Simba said as he watched as his son allowed Nala to bathe him without even letting out a fuss. Sarabi chuckled as she watched her son's expression.

"Now if only you could have been that calm when I bathed you." Sarabi smiled, thinking back to Simba's cub years. Simba just shook his head as he said, "I still don't get what there is to like about baths." Overhearing there conversation, Nala picked up her head and gave Simba a skeptical look.

"So you would rather go through life covered in mud? What kind of example would that be for our son?"

"I'm not saying that I don't like to be clean." Simba argued playfully, "I just think-" Suddenly, Simba noticed the other animals around the waterhole began to become nervous, a few of them even started to leave. True, they weren't that fond of hanging out around lions, but they knew they weren't in any danger since the king brought a young cub along; plus Aminifu was with them. No, the lions weren't what was scaring the animals. It was something else.

Simba saw a few gazelles start to leave, followed by a buffalo and then some zebra. The Lion King knew something was wrong.

"Nala," he said as he got to his feet, his tone and stance both becoming serious, "We have to leave."

"Now why would you ever want to do that?" a voice suddenly asked followed by laughter, "I thought you just got here." Suddenly the grass in front of Simba and his family began to stir, and in a few seconds, three black, dog like creatures emerged from the tall grass.

"Hyenas!" Timon and Pumbaa yelled in unison as they scrambled out of the water and ran behind Simba. Sarabi quickly rushed to Nala's side while Nala stood over Kopa, ready to fight for her son's life. Simba also arose and got ready to fight. He recognized the three hyenas and he was not happy at all to see them.

"Shenzi, Banzi, and Ed." Simba growled, "You three got a lot of nerve coming back here." Ed began to laugh hysterically at the sound of his own name while Banzi and Shenzi just smiled at the king.

"Yeah, yeah…" Shenzi said sarcastically, waving her paw off at Simba to show him that she didn't care, "I know, I know: you hate our guts and you banished us back to the Elephant Graveyard. We know." Simba was about it respond, but Aminifu beat him to it.

"Then you better have a good reason for coming back here!" The elephant announced as he slowly approached the trio. "You have no right to be here after all you have done! Why, all I need is the King's command and I'll show you what for!" The sight of the angry elephant coming closer to them caused Banzi to whimper a little bit. The last time he was this close to a male elephant his behind got ripped up pretty bad, even _worse_ then what Mufasa had done to him, and he didn't want to go through that again.

"Shenzi…" he nervously nudged her, "hurry this up!" Paying little attention to Banzi's wining, Shenzi stood tall, not backing down from the charging elephant.

"Stand down, Aminifu." Simba ordered.

"But Simba…"

"So far they haven't attacked us. Let's see what is going on." reluctantly, the elephant lowered his trunk and waited patiently if Simba decided to change his mind.

"We don't want any trouble, Goldilocks." Shenzi said with confidence, "We just thought we'd drop by and pay our respects to the new addition." As Shenzi spoke, her eyes locked onto Kopa, who was looking at the hyenas with curiosity rather than fear. Nala noticed this and growled, the hairs on her back standing up straight.

"Stay away from him!" Nala growled, remembering all too well the terrible hardships the hyenas caused the Pride Lands when Scar was king.

"Don't worry, Nala." Shenzi grinned at the lioness, "We have no desire to do any harm to your son. Besides, they are all fluff at that age anyway." Shenzi and the other hyenas began to erupt in hysterical laughter at what she just said, but she quickly composed herself before addressing Simba. Aminifu let out a low rumble, ready to charge at the intruders at any moment, but he respected his king's command and remained where he was. "Anyway, your kingliness, lately me and the boys have been feeling a bit guilty about what we did to you and your father all those years ago. And we thought that perhaps we could… you know… start over?" There was silence for a moment, for everyone had to make sure they weren't hearing things.

"Wait… come again?" Timon asked, peeking his head out Pumbaa's black hair.

"You heard her," Banzi snapped, "We're sorry, we apologize, we want to bury the hatchet, we…"

"Shut up you moron!" Shenzi said as she smacked Banzi on the back of his head with her paw. That was something no one expected to hear. The hyenas were sorry? They wanted peace? Simba thought it was almost too good to be true.

"And why should we believe this?" Sarabi asked skeptically, stepping into the conversation.

"Because the truth is the truth." Shenze replied, "If we did come here to fight, wouldn't you think we would have brought the others to help us? Besides, even if we did bring them, you have an elephant on your side. It'd be suicide!" Simba began to relax his stance, knowing that the hyenas didn't come to fight, but he still remained stern as he glared at the hyenas. This was not like them in the slightest to be so straightforward and sincere about something like this.

"Why are you even telling me this?" Simba asked, not letting his guard down, "What's the catch?" The other hyena, Ed, began to laugh hysterically after Simba asked that. Shenzi just gave Simba a sly smile before answering.

"Since we know you still are probably angry at us for what happened, we thought we'd leave you a… _gift_. Something to make up for all the trouble we caused." Simba was about to ask what that meant, until a sudden whimpering was heard as Banzi grabbed something from out of the tall grass and brought it to Simba. The Lion King only stood there with his jaw open, not knowing how to react with what was placed before him.

"What is this?" he asked Shenzi, a mix of anger and confusion in his voice. The female hyena smiled and asked, "What's the matter Simba? Have you never seen a hyena pup before?" Everyone just stared at the pup dumbfounded, not knowing how to react. For at Simba's feet was a small hyena pup with a grey coat and a bit of black hair on the top of his head, running down the back of his neck. He looked to be about a few months old and was only a bit bigger than Kopa. The pup whimpered as he looked up at the tall golden lion.

"A hyena pup?!" Timon shouted from on top of Pumbaa's head, "What kind of sick joke is this?!"

"Well?" Shenzi addressed Simba, ignoring Timon's shouting, "Do you want him or not?" Simba stared at the pup for a moment, until asking Shenzi, "What do you expect me to do with this… _thing_?"

"Don't know, don't care." Shenzi shrugged, "Eat him, throw him off a cliff, raise him along with that other hairball of yours; either way, he has a better chance with you then he does with us."

"You're… you're kidding me." Simba said. Everyone was silent. Timon and Pumba just stared at the hyenas in shock while Sarabi, Aminifu, and Nala had looks of disgust all over their faces. Simba, however, still didn't understand. "Why are you giving-?"

"Because they don't want him!" Sarabi growled, putting the pieces together in her mind. The hyenas took a step back, knowing that the retired queen still had a major grudge against them.

"I guess your father never really finished your education before he became roadkill, eh?" Banzi laughed nervously. Simba growled at the mentioned the stampede, but Shenzi ignored him and began to explain, "You see, your highness, we hyenas have a different system then you lions. We live in packs, not prides. We hunt at night and not during the day. We are ruled by matriarchs and not kings, and it just so happens I am my pack's matriarch."

"Boooriiing! Get to the point already!" Timon shouted. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Shenzi continued. "Well, the point is that we are all back in the Graveyard and are having a rough time when it comes to food. I already have three pups of my own now, so our situation is already rough as it is. This one, seeing as it's a _boy_ , is… oh what the word… Expandable. His parents abandoned him when they left the pack, so here I am with another unwanted mouth to feed. Being the kind mother that I am, I took into account that there was no chance me or anyone would care about what happens to him and the last thing I need is to have the blood of a family member on my paws… soooo…"

"You want us to do your work for you." Simba growled, connecting the dots in his head. All that talk of friendship and wanting to put the past behind them. It was all just a ruse to think that they were truly sorry about what they did, when in reality, all they wanted was to get rid of a pup they didn't want.

"Consider it payback," Shenzi shrugged with a hint of distaste in her voice, "We helped take away your father and uncle so it's only fair you take away something from us."

"You heartless…" Aminifu growled as he took a step towards the trio, but Simba held his paw out and stopped the elephant from going rogue.

"What's his name?" Simba asked.

"In all honesty, he doesn't have one." Shenzi replied, "We just kept it around for a good laugh. Because it is _funny_ to think he ever had a chance at life." Simba had heard enough at this point and he began to slowly advance. He felt so many mixed emotions with what was taking place before him. Anger, pity, sorrow, compassion, and disgust surged through his body as he stared at the ones who played a part in his father's demise.

"This pup will stay here in the Pride Lands where I will decide his fate…" He answered calmly, "but you three… I also have something to tell your matriarch." Once again becoming scared, the hyenas began to back up, this time even Shenzi.

Aminifu saw that they were about to run and charged at the hyenas, slapped both the males out of the way with his trunk before grabbing Shenzi by the waste and tossing her back towards Simba. She tumbled a couple of times before laying on her back, looking straight up at the king. Simba took this opportunity and stood over the hyena, pushing his paw up against her throat. Shenzi gagged as she struggled to escape the Lion King's grip, but Simba was just too strong for her. In a low, menacing voice, Simba whispered two words that would ring in the back of Shenzi's mind at night when she slept, "Get… out!"

Having said that, Simba let Shenzi up, and just as quickly as they came, the hyenas ran away, whimpering with their tails tucked in between their legs.

"Good riddance." Aminifu huffed as he watched them disappear into the tall grass. Seeing that the hyenas were now gone, Sarabi and Nala walked up to Simba to make sure the Lion King was alright.

"Simba?" Nala asked. "Are you ok?" Simba didn't answer. For the longest time, he just stood there, watching the direction in which the hyenas ran away. In his mind, he was happy to see them go, but in his heart, a quote that his father told him kept nagging at his head.

"We are all connected… in the great _Circle of Life_." He whispered inaudibly to himself. That was what Mufasa told him as a cub and Simba had hung onto every word. But now it made him think if we are all connected, then, what part do the hyenas play? All the trouble they caused… all the heartache… what great plan is there for them? This thought made him question if it was good if the hyenas left the Pride Lands for good. Would the Pride Lands change, and if so, would it be for the better or worse? All these things went through Simba's head that was, until he heard a sudden squeak come from behind him.

He, Sarabi, Aminifu, and Nala looked back and were completely dumbfounded by what they saw. Kopa had crawled up to the young pup and tried to play with him. The pup was still a bit nervous, and backed away when Kopa batted his shoulder with his paw. Kopa thought this cub looked and acted funny and tried to crawl towards him, but Timon and Pumbaa stopped him.

"Whoa! Hold on kiddo!" Timon said, getting in front of the infant, "I forbid you from- Gah!" before Timon knew what happened, the pup came up behind him nipped his tail, which caused Kopa to once again giggle. Yanking his tail out of the pup's mouth, he scurried back on top of Pumbaa's head.

"See! See!" Timon exclaimed as he pointed his fingers at the pup, "Already it's got the taste for meerkat! That thing is dangerous!"

"Hey," Pumbaa spoke up, "Timon, he's just a little hyena. Look at him, he's so cute and all alone! Can we keep him?"

"Pumbaa, are you nuts?!" Timon exclaimed, "You're talking about a hyena! Hyenas eat guys like us!"

"But he's so little!" Pumbaa argued.

"He's going to get bigger!"

"Maybe he'll be on our side."

"Ha!" Timon scoffed as he hopped off of Pumbaa's head, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Why don't we… Hey! Knock it off!" Timon exclaimed as he felt something sharp nip at his tail again, only this time it was Kopa. Kopa and the pup laughed as Timon looked at them with an angry face.

"Simba!" Timon exclaimed as he yanked his tail out of the infant's mouth. Simba didn't respond. He just looked at the hyena pup as he began to play with his son. Timon, however, wasn't amused. "Do something!" Timon shouted, "Just look at what they did to my tail! That pup is already setting a bad example for your kid! Tell Pumbaa that there is no way…"

"Hmmmm…" all eyes turned to the elephant as he began to speak. "This is one situation that is quite the problem now is it?" He scratched to top of his smooth white head with his trunk, clearly deep in thought, "Is it possible to… no…"

"What is it?" Sarabi asked, knowing that look on Aminifu's face.

"Well… if I remember my history…" the elephant began, addressing Simba, "long ago, and we are talking about before the time of Mufasa, lions and hyenas were not really at each other's throats like they are today. I mean sure, there were a few incidents and even a war that broke out every generation or two, but truly, it was due to the leaders of those days. Many stories from the old days were about lions and hyenas as companions." Simba and the others listened as the elephant tried to speak his mind on the matter. "I remember my father telling me of a great king… Mohatu I believe his name was… and he actually made peace with the hyenas during his rule, partly because he was willing to overlook the actions of their ancestors and was also a good friend of their matriarch during that time. His rule, however, the last recorded record of peace between the two species. Since then, hyenas have caused the Pride Lands much trouble, no thanks to Scar no doubt; but seeing how this pup seems to be taking a liking towards your son, Simba, maybe… just maybe… if we play our cards right, this pup just might be able to-"

"Waaaaait a minute." Timon said as he approached the elephant, his hands resting on his hips as he looked at the pachyderm crossly. "I know what you're up too. Well listen here bub, we are not; I repeat: NOT, about to take in that… killer!"

"Rubbish!" Aminifu shouted back, glaring menacingly over the meerkat, making him feel ten times smaller than he truly was. "If you were but an infant, then would it be appropriate to have thrown you out because we assumed you would end up a slob? Don't judge a seed until it has fully sprouted! Besides, I'm afraid that the decision on whether or not to keep the pup is not up to you, scrawny mongoose, it's up to your king."

"Mongoose?! Why I outa…" seeing that Timon was too angry to think, Pumbaa placed his hoof down on Timon's tail while the meerkat tried to run at the elephant, venting all his rage in uncoherent screams.

Everyone turned back to Simba, who had been thinking about this greatly ever since the hyenas ran off. Still, Simba remained silent, though a smile shown clearly on his face as he watched the two children play with each other. That was something that the Lion King never thought he would ever see: a lion and hyena… together. No hatred, no secret ambitions, no distrust: just pure friendship. Maybe… just maybe… there was a place in the Circle of Life for a hyena.

He slowly walked over to the two infants, who stopped playing when they saw Simba approaching them. Kopa instantly began to crawl towards his father, while the hyena pup whimpered and took a few steps back in fear of seeing the large lion.

"Hey kiddo," Simba greeted his son, "Made a new friend I see." Kopa cooed as he rubbed his small head against Simba's leg, enjoying being close to his father. Upon seeing this, the pup looked curiously at the lion, wondering whether or not he was friendly. His new friend seemed to like him. Maybe he wasn't dangerous. Experimentally, the hyena pup crept towards Simba, with his ears laid back and his tail between his legs. Simba looked down at the whimpering pup who was looking back at him with literal puppy eyes.

"It's ok," Simba softly said to the hyena, "I'm not going to hurt you." Slowly, he stretched out his paw and gently began to stroke the top of the pup's head. The pup flinched at first, but upon feeling Simba's gentle, soft paw stroke the top of his head and back, he began to relax. Fear began to leave him as the pup realized that there was nothing to worry about. Whoever this lion was, he was nice. He then walked up to Simba and began to rub his head up against his leg just like Kopa was doing. Simba watched both of them all the while smiling from ear to ear.

"Sometimes," Aminifu said as he walked up beside Simba and put a trunk on his shoulder, "Life presents challenges, hardships, regrets; and these are things that are not easily forgotten. However, second chances, new life, understanding, these are what can grow from hardships, but they can only grow if given the chance. This pup did not choose where he would be in the Circle of Life nor did he choose what he would be, but I wonder; if given the chance, can he be more than what he should have been?" Aminifu's words tugged at the Lion King's heart.

Simba knew that deep down he would always have a dislike for the hyenas for what they did… but not this one. Neither his son nor the pup knew about the hatred and rivalry between lions and hyenas. They were together, they were happy, and soon, they would be family.

Lifting up his head, Simba looked at his family and friends before saying sternly, "The pup stays with us." Everyone was shocked by what Simba said, but nothing prepared them what he said next, "And I'll make sure he will be raised alongside Kopa."

"What?!" Nala exclaimed. Her outburst was so furious and sudden it caused the others to step away from her. Timon even fell off of Pumbaa's head when he heard the fire in Nala's voice. "Simba, you can't be serious! Raising a hyena? What would the others say?" Simba just stared in shock at Nala, while the hyena and Kopa hid behind him, scared by the sudden loud and scary voice. Simba had never seen her so angry before. It startled him a bit, but Nala didn't care. She, was going to walk straight up to Simba. She was going to give him a piece of her mind. She was…

"Nala," Sarabi stepped in and placed a paw on her shoulder. She then spoke to her daughter in-law in a soft voice, "I know how you feel. The hyenas have done a lot to all of us." Nala turned around and glared at Sarabi with her aqua blue eyes. Sarabi paid no heed to Nala's expression and continued talking, "But you have to understand that Aminifu has a point. This pup is not one of them. The ones who wronged us, the ones who hurt us, are gone now. This pup may be theirs but… he hasn't done anything." In her mind, Nala could not deny the wisdom in Sarabi's voice, but she still tried to find something, anything that could persuade them into not taking the pup in.

"But he will be just like them!" Nala growled, though in her mind she knew that there was no point in arguing otherwise.

"There is a good chance he may have been, Nala." Nala turned back to see Simba sitting there with Kopa and the pup in between his forelegs looking at her curiously, "But _now_ … he doesn't have to be like them. He can be shown… the right way to live in the Circle of Life." Nala walked over to Simba and bent down to her son and the pup's level. She looked at the pup with a stern face, unsure of how to think about it. She had to admit, his short snout, and the black freckles on his face made him look kind of cute, but there was no way she could live with that thing. It was a hyena! No doubt he was cute now, but when he grew up, he would be just like the rest of his species: a sneaky, backstabbing…

Suddenly, Nala felt something cold touch her nose, causing her to jerk her head back and scrunched her face in surprise. The pup had just licked her on the nose and was now giggling beside Kopa as they watched Nala make a weird face in response. The queen felt a smile begin to creep onto her face at the sight of her happy son next to the hyena. That gentle lick that was given to her seemed to have chipped away at whatever hard shell that surrounded her heart towards hyenas… well… this one at least.

Bending back down, Nala gave both Kopa and the pup a lick on the head, before telling Simba, "I still don't know about this Simba, but I'm willing to give him a chance."

"I'm glad to hear that," Simba replied as he pulled his mate in for a hug. With Sarabi and Nala's approval, Simba had no doubt in his mind that the pup would soon be accepted by the other pride members; and with Aminifu's backing, maybe even the herds will come around to it. It may take some time till they are all used to the idea of a hyena living with them, but until then, Simba would make sure that this one would not be like the others. He will be taught to respect the Circle of Life, and to treat everyone right. Still, not everyone was happy with Simba's decision.

"Lovely," Timon groaned as he watched what was taking place before him, "We now have a ravenous mutt living with us. It's been nice knowing you all. If anyone needs me, I'll be making preparations for my funeral. Come on Pumbaa, let's get out of here before that thing gets a taste for you too." As Timon lead Pumbaa away, Nala was about to stop them, but Simba gently placed his paw on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I know they'll come around. They just need time."

"Maybe," Nala shrugged, "But I don't… Oh! I almost forgot! What will we call him?" Simba didn't expect that kind of response from Nala so soon, but he was glad to see that she was warming up to the young pup. Looking back at the two infants, who were now play wrestling in the grass, Simba thought about it. What would be a good name for a hyena?

"I think I might know a good one," Sarabi suddenly said as she walked up behind Simba, "How about… Kicheko?"

"Kicheko?" Simba questioned, "Doesn't that mean…"

"Laughter!" Aminifu exclaimed as he himself began to chuckle at the irony of such a name for a hyena, "Yes! Yes! Perfect!"

"Well then," Simba smiled as he walked over to the pup and ruffled his head with his paw, "Kicheko, welcome to the Pride Lands." Kicheko yipped with glee as he began to rub his head against Simba leg, feeling safe around the bigger lions.

"Now that that's settled," Nala stated, "Let's head back home. The others will probably be wondering what has been taking us so long. I wonder how they'll react."

"Only one way to find out." Sarabi stated as she picked up Kopa by the scruff of his fur. Simba followed suit and picked up the hyena pup and together, they all made their way back to Pride Rock with the new addition: Kicheko the hyena.

 **End of Chapter 4**

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 **Arthor's Notes:**

 **Yay! a new addition to the family! Hope he behaves himself as he grows up. But then again... this is Simba's son we're talking about. lol.**

 **Timon and Pumba don't seem to happy about this situation, but I'm sure they'll come around in time.**

 **I did put in a few TLk and TLG Easter eggs in this chapter. Can anyone find all of them by next week?**

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 **Review Response:**

 **Gracekim1: Yes... the villain of this story and Zira have a lot in common. Hmm... I wonder who it could be? And as for your questions, I hope as you read those questions will be answered. But if you have any technical questions about the characters, timeline, ect., then don't be shy to post and let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all, here is another chapter.**

 **Shout out to the Totally-Original. Love the conviction to try and get this story up to 15 reviews... but still... I guess the audience just aren't eager to see what happens next. Aw well. Hopefully that will change in time.**

 **Also shout out to yingyangmaster for getting 1 of the 3 Easter eggs**

 **Egg 1.**

 **Aminifu was the elephant in the Lion Guard series who died in the episode, Can't wait to be Queen.**

 **Egg 2.**

 **Timon and Pumba's talk about the hyena in the same way they talked about Simba when they first found him in the desert.**

 **Egg 3.**

 **Mohatu is the name of Simba's great-grandfather mentioned in one of the Lion King six new adventure books.**

 **'**

 **Anyway, This chapter has given me a major headache. Between my computer completely shutting down and making the chapter reset on me for like... 8 times this past week, and the increased work schedule in real life, this story was a rough one.**

 **Still, it's here and on time, and that's all that matters.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Ch.5** **Still Breathing**

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 _Fire…_

 _Pain…_

 _Anger…_

For weeks now that was all he could see in his dreams. His thoughts were consumed by every little detail of that day. The feeling of dread when the truth about his past was revealed, the sound of his once loyal followers laughing as they tried to end his life, but most of all he remembered the sight of the one who caused him all of this pain; the one who came back and ruined everything he had ever hoped to achieve. His power, his status, his kingdom; all of it was taken from him by one lion. It was his fault… _his_ fault that he lost everything! If it hadn't been for the timely arrival of his loyal guards then he would have surly lost his life that day, but in the end he survived. He always survived.

Lying in the back corner of the cave, the lion rested his head in-between his paws; thinking, planning, plotting in the darkness of his new home… of course, that was all he could do, given his current condition. When rescued he had sustained several injuries, both from the fire as well as from his mutinous allies. His recovery had been slow and painful. Just this past week he had regained his ability to walk, but there were some things that he would never truly recover from. His body was now covered in burn marks as well as teeth and claw marks, giving him this appearance of some traveling warrior who had been in many great fights and had obtained many battle scars. Yet though he had been in many fights throughout his life, this was the first in a long time that he actually lost.

Heh… lost… The lion knew that there was no such thing as losing.

"Your highness." the lion's emerald green eyes glazed over to the sound of the new voice. Approaching him were two male lions, who both had gruff expressions on their faces. One had golden brown fur and a dark brown mane,a small goatee on his chin and blood red eyes. The other was completely grey, from his pelt to his mane, with bright yellow eyes that shined in the darkness. "Zira will be back soon. Shall we inform the others?"

"No..." the lion in the darkness replied, his voice as smooth as honey and his tone as malevolent as a viper's, "She will bring them here when she returns. That woman knows what I'll do; sometimes even before I even fathom it."

"Well..." the grey lion replied, "She is your... _closest_ , follower. Nuka is proof of that."

"Don't remind me." the lion groaned. Like he needed to be reminded of his most obvious failure. "Just go and make preparations for when she returns." Bowing their heads in respect, the two quickly walked away to attend to other matters.

When the lion in the darkness was once again alone he rested his head back between his paws, thinking that he would at least gather his thoughts before addressing his followers on his plan.

" _Brother..."_ but it seemed someone had plans of his own for the lion, " _Brother..."_

"Not again..." the lion moaned. This had been happening more frequently. It started right before his throne was stolen from him, and even now the specter refused to give him peace.

 _"Brother... Please don't do this."_ the voice in his head said.

"Oh would you just shut up already." the lion replied coldly, shaking his head as if the action could rid him of this annoyance, "Seriously, for someone who is dead you seem to do a lot of talking."

" _You always complained why the Great Kings never spoke to you during your rule,"_ the voice replied in a calm and collected manner, _"Now you get what you want and you are still dissatisfied? Maybe father was right... maybe you were a spoiled brat growing up."_

"..." the lion was silent, as he made no reply and attempted to block out the voice with his own thoughts, but still he was tormented.

 _"It's not to late, you know."_ the voice said, _"You still have a chance."_

"Oh believe me..." the lion replied when he heard that, a evil smile growing on his face, "I know."

 _"Not to retake the kingdom,"_ the voice said, knowing what the lion was thinking, _"But to start a new life. To make something of yourself... to be more then what you have allowed yourself to become."_ The lion in the darkness yawned, clearly paying no head to the warnings of the spirit.

"Your advice is sound... but as you know, I never was a good listener." the lion replied in a subtle manner, "Besides, I've gotten this far. Why turn back when I am so close to establishing my new era?"

 _"Because in the end you will only bring about more pain. For yourself... and your followers."_ The lion rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had become used to these types of conversations now. It didn't help that the one speaking was a close relative that he once knew, but still, the dark lion tolerated his presence, seeing as how spirit could do nothing but fret for the future... and for the safety of his own descendants.

"You just want to keep that precious boy of yours from sharing your fate." the lion all but chuckled, "Face it. You're scarred of what I'm capable of."

 _"You're right..."_ the voice replied, _"I am scared. I'm scared that you will destroy yourself. I'm scared that you will take this second chance that the Great Kings have given you and throw it away. I'm scared... no... I'm terrified to see what will befell you and these lands if you continue on this course. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you?"_

"Can't you see that I don't want your help?" the lion countered. "I got to where I am today because of one mistake I made. I sacrificed what little power I had and I gained tenfold for my efforts. I created one of the strongest forces these lands had ever seen since the reign of the First King. And though I was close to death, it was MY guard who saved me, because I was clever enough to tell them when to return from their mission. It was by MY power that I am here today. MINE AND MINE ALONE!" There was a moment of silence, until the specter gave his last statement to the lion.

" _Please."_ he said softly, but with authority, _"I don't want to see you perish. Give up on this lost cause, otherwise you will be truly dead."_

And just as sudden as the specter came, the lion felt his presence within his mind suddenly disappear. He had left him, for now at least. He would more than likely be back, but it did not matter. Plans were already being set in motion, and if it was one the lion never did was back out from plans of his own design.

"The cause is lost only when the one fighting for it is dead." The lion said solely to himself. It was a saying told to him many seasons ago by a great lion, who was now a dead lion; still, every word of was true. Oh how those words were so true. Looking again at the entrance of the cave, which was the only source of light in the darkness, the lion said with a seething tone in his voice, "And unlike you, I am far from dead… _Mufasa_."

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Meanwhile, right outside the den, a small, scrawny cub with red eyes and a dark orange pelt was busy trying to get something special for his parents. His mother was currently out hunting, and he wanted to get her something so that she could see that he was also a big and strong hunter like her and the others.

"Come on! Hold still!" the cub exclaimed as he pounced once again at a nearby beetle that flew out of the way just in time, his paw barely missing him. "How am I supposed to impress Mother if you don't let me catch you?" the cub ran after the beetle again, but this time he tripped and tumbled forward before running into the side of the stone wall. The world around him swayed back and forth from his upside down positon as his back was against the wall. He then heard two loud bellowing laughs coming from the side lines. Two large, muscular lions with golden fur and cream colored manes sat on a bolder that raised them high in the air, giving them a perfect viewpoint of their entertainment for the day.

"Hey! That's not funny!" the cub growled as he got up and glared at the two adults watching him. He had been watched over before by others his mother had left in charge while she was out hunting, but he always hated it when his she left him alone with… _them._

"Aw, look brother." The larger of the two laughed, "I think we angered the little twerp."

"Oh…" the other one said in a mocking tone, "Is the wittle baby going to cry? I think he's going to cry!" both lion then erupted in a fit of laughter, making the scrawny cub tear up; but he wouldn't back down that easily.

"Y-You stop it!" he said trying to act tough, but his tears and cracking voice gave him away, "If you don't… I-I'll tell Mother and Father!"

"Ha! His 'father'." The larger one mocked, "I sometimes forget that you actually are the bosses', seeing as how he disowned you and all." His brother was about to comment on how that was a good one, but before he could, both lions felt something clamp down on the back of both of their necks. Despite having thick manes, they could feel the claws of their assailant go right through the hair and strait to the skin, but just enough so that it barely punctured.

"Our king may have disowned him." a voice snarled behind them, which sent shivers down their spines, "But he is still my son!" Both lions were instantly shoved off their comfortable positions on the boulder and landed on the cold hard floor below. They looked up to see an imposing figure of a lioness with a dirty, light brown pelt, and a muscular figure staring down at them. Her sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight as she snarled at the two adults who were supposed to be watching after her son. The cub smiled up at the lioness, while the other males looked at her with fear in their eyes.

"Mother!" the cub exclaimed with joy as she jumped down from the boulder. He ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her foreleg. The lioness, however didn't respond to her son's affection, but instead her gaze was fixed on the two fools who were now cowering before her.

"Z-Zira!" the small one addressed her first, "Back so soon?"

"Brin." She addressed the smaller lion, her tone cold and without emotion, "I leave you and your brother to look after my son while I go hunting, and I return to find him with tears in his eyes. Care to explain why?"

"Well…" the smaller lion, known as Brin, began to stammer, "You see well…" he then turned to his brother, "Brang, tell Zira what happened."

"Me?" the larger one, known as Brang, stammered, "But you're the one who started- ack!" before he could say another word, Zira had a razor sharp claw pressed up against Brang's throat.

"You two may have been chosen to be our guard's fastest and strongest," Zira said in a cold voice, all the while having a wicked smile on her face, "But talk to my son that way again, and I'll show you why I was chosen to be the Fiercest. Do I make myself clear?"

"W-We hear you loud and clear." Brin answered for himself and his brother, who was now sweating bullets due to how close he was to having his throat ripped out. Looking back and forth between the two brothers, Zira saw the fear in their eyes. They feared her and rightfully so. She doubted that they would leave her son alone completely, but knowing that they knew what the consequences would be if they disobeyed her gave Zira some peace on the matter. At least now she would have a good reason to rough them up if she was ever in the mood.

She retracted her claws and walked back over to her son, leaving Brang gaging and coughing as he clutched this throat with his paw.

"Wow!" the cub exclaimed, "You sure showed them, Mother."

"Hush, Nuka." Zira said as she walked by her son and made her way to the entrance of the den. she then looked back at Brin and Brang and announced, "The others are waiting inside. I suggest you don't dawdle."

Realizing what she meant, Brin, Brang, and Nuka followed Zira inside to meet with their leader, but just as they got to the entrance, Brang looked at the scrawny cub and gave him a low growl; to which Nuka replied by sticking his tongue out at the overgrown bully. His mother would teach them another lesson if they kept on picking on him.

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Meanwhile, inside the den the lion in the darkness was waiting for the rest of his followers to come and see him. He had some very important news to share, but he was not alone.

On his right sat the grey furred lion with a white muzzle and yellow eyes, and on his left was a light brown furred lion with a dark brown mane and piercing red eyes. Both sat at attention and waited for their comrades to appear before them.

"They should be here soon, my king." the brown lion said, "Is it truly time?"

"No..." the lion in the darkness replied, "Not yet... but it soon will be."

That was when they saw Zira, Brin, Brang, and Nuka enter and approach them. The lion slowly stood to his feet, but staggered a bit, still feeling very weak.

"Easy there." the grey lion said as he rushed to the lion's side and supported his weight with his own body. The lion leaned on him for support as the grey lion led him back down to the cave floor.

"I tire of this." the lion in the darkness snarled, "How long will it be until my strength is regained?"

"A long time, I'm afraid." the grey lion spoke up, "You took a nasty fall off of Pride Rock, not to mention enduring what the hyenas put you through. You're lucky to still be breathing after all this time."

"Don't worry, my love." Zira said in a gentel tone, stepping forward from Brin and Brang as they approached, "Just be patient. It won't be long until you can move freely again."

"Indeed." the lion replied, as he slowly attempted to stand to his feet. The grey lion moved to help him, but this time his master held up his paw and stopped him, "But until then, we must prepare." The lion then staggered forward and stepped into the light, revealing himself. He had a dark orange pelt, which was covered in pink scars. His mane was as black as the darkness that he came out of, and out of all the scars on his body, the one that stood out the most was the one singular slash that went over his left eye.

"Scar." Zira hailed as she and the others bowed their heads low to the ground, "Your insight humbles us... my king."

"Indeed." Scar replied, his tone soft, yet holding great authority. The others followed suit and now all who were in the room were bowing down to Scar. The tyrant king looked left and right at his surrounding followers with a pleased smile on his face. They numbered only five, excluding Nuka, but unlike the hyenas, they were his most loyal, his chosen, his guard.

"Rise." he commanded, to which all of them followed suit, "You all honor me... all of you. Without you I would surely be dead."

"I'm sure you would have found a way, sire." Brin said with confidence, but Scar merely chuckled and shook his head in dismay.

"Now, now my friends, let's be honest." he began, "I may be a king, but even a king cannot go far without his loyal guards." he then addressed each lion one by one.

"Vita." he addressed the brown furred lion, "My bravest." he then looked at the cream furred brothers, "Brang and Brin... my strongest and fastest warriors." He then looked at the grey lion. "Tizamo... my keenest of sight. And of course..." a wicked smile appeared on his face as he looked at his most loyal and dangerous follower, "Zira... my fiercest."

"What about me?" Nuka asked looking up at his father with a wide and happy smile.

"Eh..." Scar cringed when he looked at the cub. He may have been his son, but he was always a reminder of his weakness, and it hurt Scar just to look at him. "You can be the smelly cub that tells me who I should torture." It wasn't much... but a son was a son... even if it was Nuka.

"Really?" Nuka asked, getting a mischevious grin before pointing at Brin and Brang, "They made fun of me, Dad. Punish them!"

"Why you little-" Brin growled, but was cut off as Scar cleared his throat. Seeing the death glare their leader was giving them made them both shut up and look at Scar with uneasy, yet guilty faces. He knew that what his son was telling him was most likely true, but knowing that he still needed the brothers he wouldn't do anything to painful to them.

"Zira." he addressed the lioness.

"Yes, Scar?" she responded with an eager tone in her voice.

"If anyone disrespects our son again," he stated, his voice calm and casual, "You have my permission to shave their manes and cut off their tails. Is that understood?"

"Clearly." she smiled.

Scar looked over at the two brothers, seeing how Brin grabbed his tail and Brang grabbed his mane when they heard Scar's threat. Though Scar loved showing off his power and authority, he truly enjoyed playing mind games with anyone who he thought was worthy. Since he usually spoke in a calm manner, his allies could never tell if he was being serious, playful or if he was happy or angry. It made it so that they all had to pay close attention to what Scar had to say, and if he found that someone wasn't truly listening, he would make them suffer for it.

"Alright now." Scar said, getting back on topic, "Zira, what news do you have from the Pride Lands?" Zira then stepped forward and began debriefing everyone on the situation.

"It would seem that some of the herds have returned, but not all of them." she began, "A few are still a bit skeptical about this so called, son of Mufasa."

"Oh?" Scar asked, intrigued by this news, "How so?"

"Well..." Zira began, "The supposed deceased son of the king suddenly returning and proclaiming himself as Mufasa's heir sounds a bit too good to be true for some. Sure Nala, might have brought him back and confirmed it to everyone, but how do we know that this isn't just some rogue she found who just shares similar features to Mufasa? For all we know this could be some ragged vagabond who she picked up in the desert and trained to act and talk like the prince."

"But he is really Simba... isn't he?" Vita, the brown lion, asked, making sure he connected the dots right.

"Hmmmm..." Scar thought about this new concept that Zira presented to the table. Is this really Mufasa's son? Sure he knew about the stampede and his responses during their encounter at Pride Rock seemed reasonable, but is there a possible chance that this could be a rogue?

No... Scar knew it was really Simba. His words on top of Pride Rock were to authentic. Not even Nala could have taught him to say those words. " _Run... run away Scar, and never return."_ He truly was his nephew. Scar knew that he could not disprove his nephew's right to the throne... but maybe...

"What are your thoughts on this, Scar?" Tizamo, the grey lion, asked.

"The lion is indeed Simba." Scar stated, "But Zira has provided a crucial weakness that we could exploit."

"And what might that be?" Brang asked.

"Doubt." Scar said simply, earning confused looks from his guards. Seeing that he needed to explain his thinking, Scar began, "Some of the animals are wondering if this is truly the son of Mufasa, the heir to a great lineage of lions. They are not yet ready to accept this lion as their new king, and that makes me wonder if even he accepts the fact that he is now king."

"What did you have in mind, Scar?" Zira asked, sounding intrigued by her king's thoughts.

"My nephew has been living in exile all of this time," Scar said, "His training had barely begun before I killed his father, and even though Sarabi is with him, there were things that only Mufasa could have shown him. No mater what, Simba will never be as great a king as he could have been. If we can show him this... then we could break his resolve and will to rule, leaving the Pride Lands vulnerable. That is when I announce my triumphant return."

"Genius, my love." Zira exclaimed.

"Truly clever, oh wise one." Brin said.

"Good plan, boss." Brang followed his brother.

"An ambitious plan indeed." Tizamo stated.

"So... when do we start?" asked Vita, eager to get on with the plan.

"Patients." Scar said. "For now we must watch and wait. We will let him get comfortable with his position. Then, when he leasts expects it, his throne will be challenged and his resolve questioned, bringing his world crashing down all around him."

"And who will be the ones to be challenging him?" asked Tizamo.

"Why... You of course." Scar said simply as if it were obvious, "My loyal Lion Guard."

 **END OF CHAPTER 5**

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 **Oh Snap... Scar lives, and he has his own guard! (Well... the description may have gave that part away. lol)**

 **What do they have planned and when will we see this plan take shape? we'll have to see next week!**

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 **Review Response:**

 **Totally-Original: I'm glad you are eager to see what happens next. And thanks for the PM on the writing errors. I try to fix those as much as possible so if you see any more let me know and I'll spruce up that chapter a bit.**

 **yingyangmaster: I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter. I try to make the characters as lively as possible. And you got one of the 3 Easter eggs, so nice job. And about the hyena pup, as Aminifu said in the last chapter, "Don't judge a seed until it has sprouted."**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again all.**

 **Happy Father's Day!**

 **I know it just passed, but still, to all the fathers and to soon be fathers out there, this chapter is dedicated to you.**

 **I changed the cover image to something I found a little more... adequate to a Lion King story. Hope you all like it.**

 **Also I want to let everyone know that I updated my chapters. I corrected SO many mistakes. (Pumbaa please forgive me.) but I think I got them all. If anyone sees anything out of place, then please let me know so I can fix it immediately.**

 **Now without further a due... Enjoy!**

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 **Ch. 6 Everything the Light Touches**

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 **(Back to the Present)**

"What?!" Kovu and Kiara exclaimed at the same time, making sure they heard Rafiki right. "Scar was still alive?"

"Yes." Simba stated, "It was a shock to me to when I found out as well." Kiara, Kovu, and even Marifa were at a lost for words. A secret son of Simba, an adopted hyena pup, and now the revelation that Scar had survived and had his own personal Lion Guard; how could such events be kept hidden from them for so long? How could the animals remain quiet about these events? It just didn't make sense to them.

"We did not realize it at the time," Nala began, "but on the day that Simba returned so did Zira and Scar's guard. They were able to rescue him from the hyenas just in time, and they would have gone for Simba right then and there, but Scar ordered them to retreat. It wouldn't be till later that we discovered the truth."

"So..." Kovu began, still trying to piece it all together, "Scar's Lion Guard... were they like Kion's? Meaning... could Zira use the roar?"

"Definitely not." Rafiki said as he stabbed his staff to the ground, "Scar may have put together his own guard, but it is de Great Kings of de past who choose de leader and his loyal guardsmen. Scar's guard was an abomination; a jab at the Great Kings, telling them dat he would decide who would serve and protect the Pride Lands."

"Wow..." Kiara said, in a whisper.

"Unbelievable." Kovu reacted. Now even more questions were flowing though his head about this story. "Why didn't she tell me and Vitani about all of this when we lived in the Out Lands. It just doesn't make any sense."

"I know it probably doesn't right now." Simba said, "But maybe as we continue on some things will become clear."

"Yes sir." Rafiki nodded, "Now where was I? Ah yes! De Pride Lands were relatively quiet after de incident with de hyenas. De pride was happy, de animals were happy, and Simba would begin teaching Kopa his royal lessons."

"Well... sort of." Simba sighed, knowing what Rafiki was talking about, "I wouldn't necessarily call them lessons. I mean... I barely knew anything about ruling the kingdom at the time. Most of what I told him were things I picked up from my father and from Timon and Pumbaa."

"Ah...but he still learned." Rafiki said with a smile, "and it wouldn't be long before you began to learn along side him." Upon hearing this, Kiara looked at Rafiki with a confused expression on her face.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, "Does that mean Grandma Sarabi was teaching them both?"

"All in good time, princess." Rafiki smiled before returning to the story, "Now, it started out as a quiet morning..."

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 **(Back to the Story)**

Time passed, and both Kopa and Kicheko grew into a happy, healthy, young cubs. Kopa's fur was golden brown, just like Simba's was when he was a cub, and he had a bright red tuff of fur on his head. Character wise: he had the bravery of his father, the agility of his mother, and the wisdom of his grandmother. In his early weeks, he used to get himself into all kinds of mischief, but after a few life lessons; and a good scolding, the young prince really started to show signs of maturity.

As for Kicheko, at first most of the Pride Landers didn't quite like the idea of having a hyena pup running around Pride Rock, and they especially didn't like him being around the young prince; but Simba, Nala, and Sarabi were able to convince them to at least tolerate his presence, which they had done.

The pup's pelt had greyish colored fur while the tips of his paws were pitch black. He had a narrow snout and three large black spots running across his back, and a black tuff of spiky fur on his head that ran all the way down his neck. Character wise: he was very spontaneous and random. He really enjoyed cracking jokes and playing pranks on others, a trait that Timon and Pumbaa helped influence. Despite being incredibly mischief, he never really liked going out and exploring the Pride Lands. Whenever Kopa wanted to go on some crazy adventure in the Pride Lands, Kicheko would usually ask him: "Is it dangerous? Will we get in trouble, and will we be back in time for dinner?" if any of these were answered with, "No." or, "Maybe…" Kicheko would outright refuse to go. It pleased both Simba and Nala to see that the hyena genuinely cared for Kopa's wellbeing, and didn't appear to be following in his species' footsteps.

Being as Kopa was Simba's first born, Simba made it one of his primary goals each day to teach him about running the kingdom. Kopa absorbed everything his father had to teach him, and he really enjoyed it when his dad told him stories of the Great Kings of the Past. It made him wish that he could one day go on an adventure of his own. Since Kopa was both a combination of Simba and Nala, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the young prince found himself in similar life threatening situations. Luckily, today's events shouldn't give Kopa any ideas of running off on his own… hopefully.

As morning approached the Pride Lands, Kopa saw from the den's entrance that the sun would soon rise, and his father told him that he would show him something that Grandpa Mufasa showed him at that age. Excited and anxious to hear today's lesson, he ran back into the den.

"DAD! DAD!" he called. Simba wearily opened his eyes to see his son jumping on and bounding over the sleeping lionesses to get to him. Somehow Simba knew his son would wake him up early for this lesson. He let out a loud yawn, stood up on all fours and started to stretch. "Come on Dad! You can't still be this tired, can you?"

"Well what did you expect?" Simba asked, as he finished his stretching, "The sun hasn't even risen yet." Kopa just ignored what his father said. He went behind Simba and tried to push him forward with his head.

"Come… on Dad," he grunted as he tried to push the full grown lion out the cave, "We're going… *umph*, to miss, *urgh*, the sunrise!"

"Ok, ok I'm coming." Simba sighed, knowing that his son was determined to get to that 'special place'; but right before they left the cave, Kopa suddenly called out, "Hey Grandma! Kicheko! Are you guys coming with us?" Simba flinched, and gritted his teeth as he heard the angry groans from the other lionesses, waking up to his son's loud offer.

"Put a sock in it, will ya?" Kicheko groaned as he covered his ears to try and block out Kopa's voice, "It's a new thing called silence, you should try it sometime."

"Um… Kopa," Simba said as he quickly nudged his son towards the den's exit, "Grandma has been feeling a bit under the weather lately, and I think it would be best to let her and Kicheko sleep a bit longer."

"Oh," Kopa said, realizing his mistake. He then looked back at everyone and yelled, "My bad! You can go back to sleep if you want!"

Once again, Kopa and Simba were answered by loud moans and groans from the once peaceful pride. While Simba quickly nudged Kopa to get out of the den, one of the lionesses groaned, "Sometimes I wish someone would just put a muzzle on that kid."

"Preach it sister!" Kicheko agreed as he yawned and got back into a comfortable position before falling asleep.

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Putting the whole morning fiasco behind them, Simba and his son made their way up the spiraling, rocky staircase that led to the very top of Pride Rock. As the king and prince sat on the edge and gazed at the dark savannah, Simba couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere of the black morning, the cool breeze; it all brought back memories of the time when his father shared with him the wisdom of the Great Kings. And now it was Simba's turn, except he wanted to add a little something extra to this moment.

"Close your eyes, son."

"What?" Kopa looked at his father, puzzled by what he said.

"Trust me." Without another word, Kopa closed his eyes and wondered what his father was up to. They both sat there patiently, waiting for the sun with their heads held high. In a matter of seconds, the dark savannah started to become brighter as the sun started to peek over the rolling hills and slowly ascend into the sky. Though Kopa still had his eyes shut, he felt the warm rays of light shine on his face and knew that whatever his father was going to tell him was going to be good. Then Simba spoke with a deep authoritative voice, "Look around son. Everything the light touches, is our kingdom."

Kopa then opened his eyes and gazed upon the vast land that was now covered in what looked like a blanket of bright orange and gold light; his home. It stretched out for miles and miles, with no end in sight. "Wow..."

"A king's rule rises and falls like the sun. One day… the sun will set on my time and will rise with you as-"

"One day I'm going to be king!" Kopa declared excitedly. Simba smiled at his son's enthusiasm. Kopa was truly a spitting image of himself, except for the fact that he had more hair than he did when he was a cub.

"Yes." he chuckled, "And when you do, You'll have to take care of all of this. This will be your responsibility. You think you can handle it?"

"You bet!" Kopa exclaimed, "Just you wait, Dad. I promise I'll be the best king ever!"

"I'm sure you will kido," Simba said as he gently cuffed Kopa on the head with his paw, "But you have a lot to learn until then."

"Daaaaad!" Kopa wined. He hated it when his dad messed with his hair, "Dad, you're messing up my mane!" but Simba just kept on rubbing his son's head with his paws. "Seriously Dad, cut it out!" Kopa's complaining started to turn into a giggle.

"Why don't you make me?" Simba asked in a playful tone. Kopa saw that as a challenge and leaped at Simba, ramming straight into his chest. This caught Simba off guard and caused him to stagger and fall flat on his back. Simba looked up at his son, who was now sitting on his chest and smiling from ear to ear, with a shocked look on his face. Kopa was clearly proud that he was able to pin his father.

"Heh, you are your Mother's son," Simba said with a warm smile. Kopa was about to rub it in his face, until he felt Simba's paws wrap around him and pulled him into a tight squeeze. "But you still have a lot to learn before you can take me on." Simba then held onto Kopa tightly, making sure that there was no way he could escape. Kopa tried to get free of his father's grip, but Simba's strength was just too much for him.

"You give up yet?" Simba asked.

"Urgh… Never!" he growled playfully, "A true king never gives up!"

"Oh go easy on him Simba, he is just a cub?" both Simba and Kopa stopped playing when they heard Nala's voice. They both looked up at the queen and Kicheko, who just stood there, smiling warmly at them. Simba let his son go so that he could go see his mother and friend.

"Ah come on Mom," Kopa said while rubbing up against his Mother's leg, "We were just having a bit of fun."

"Losing for what is now the 66th time at a wrestling match against a lion that is 4 times bigger than you is not exactly my idea of fun." Kicheko stated bluntly. Kopa just nudged Kicheko in the shoulder playfully in response, which earned him a mischievous smile from the hyena. Simba got up off the ground and approached his queen and prince.

"So what brings you two up here?" Simba asked.

"You mean other than our son's loud wake-up call?" She asked with a unique twinkle in her eyes. Kopa just smiled at his Mother's comment about him. Then she explained, "I was just wondering if you all would like to go on a little walk through the Pride Lands, together as a family."

"Oh! Can I choose where to go?" Kopa eagerly asked as he look up from his position between his mother's front paws. Nala and Simba cocked their eyebrows at their son. For some reason he seemed a little overly excited about Nala's offer.

"What place did you have in mind kiddo?" Simba asked. Nothing prepared Simba and Nala for their son's answer.

"That shadowy place to the north!" Simba and Nala were quite surprised at what they heard. They knew exactly where Kopa was talking about and they felt a wave of memories come over them as they remembered that place. Kicheko, however, let out an annoyed groan.

"Really?" he muttered, "Why do you always pick the not so pleasant places to go? An oasis or an all you can eat buffet would be a much nicer fieldtrip if you ask me." Thankfully for the hyena, he wasn't the only one who didn't agree with Kopa's decision. The king and queen exchanged nervous glances before looking back at their son and sternly said in unison, "No!"

"Ahhhh come on," Kopa whined, "why not?"

"Honey," Nala explained as she brushed Kopa's back with her paw, "that place is dangerous. It's filled with hyenas and who knows what other scary stuff."

"Really?" Kicheko once again asked in annoyance, "The hyena card? While I'm standing right here?" Nala shook her head in amusement and said, "You know what I mean Kicheko. Hyenas who actually want to hurt Kopa."

"See, now that's much better." Kicheko smiled.

"But Grandma said that you and Dad went there when you were young, so why can't I?" Kopa argued.

Well… this conversation took a rather embarrassing turn. Simba let out an annoyed sigh while Nala let out a rather nervous chuckle.

"Well, uh, you see son," Simba stammered, "things were different back then. And your mother and I were, well…"

"Good morning, Sire!"

"Oh thank goodness." Simba let out a sigh of relief when he heard Zazu's voice. Quite frankly, this was the first time Simba could remember being actually glad to see the blue hornbill. Wanting to get off the subject of his childhood mistakes, he greeted, "Hey there Zazu! Just the major domo I've been looking for."

"Um… I'm the only major domo here, sire." Between Simba's strange greeting, and the fact he was now pulling Zazu in for a tight hug, the hornbill was feeling a bit uncomfortable at this point.

"That's nice. So what's the morning report today?"

"Well," Zazu began as he got out of Simba's grasp and cleared his throat, "There's word going around the Pride Lands that the tortes' are off to a slow start this season. The rhinos are trying to get there point across. The…" As Zazu started going over the problems in the Pride Lands, Nala, Kicheko, and Kopa just watched and listed as the hornbill rattled on. Kopa just sat between his mother's legs and pouted. Sometimes Zazu could be such a kill joy. Nala just smiled at her son's behavior, though on the inside she was laughing her head off. Kopa really was just like his father, besides the fact that he had more hair on his head then Simba ever did at that age. After waiting for about… 13 seconds, Kopa's patience finally ran out.

"Um hellooooooo?" he said, making it obvious that he was waiting. "Not to be the annoying hornbill to this conversation; no offence Zazu."

"Some taken." The hornbill replied bluntly.

"Aren't we supposed to be heading towards that special place you talked about, Dad?" Simba looked at his son, then looked back at his mate with a pleading smile, hoping that she would step in and explain to Kopa why they would not go to the shadowy place; unfortunately, she shook her head no. Simba wasn't getting out of this that easily. Seeing that there was no way out of explaining to Kopa why they couldn't go, Simba decided to get it over with.

"You see son," Simba cleared his throat, "I am sorry, but I can't take you on that trip right now." Kopa's ears flattened against his head in disappointment, while Kicheko was screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes!" in his mind.

"B-but why?" Kopa asked, giving his father a pouty face. Oh boy… here it comes. Those beautiful, bright amber eyes were about to be filled with tears. That was the one part of the parenting job that Simba hated: seeing his son cry. But there was no way out of this… unless… Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into Simba's head.

"I almost forgot," he said with a smile appearing onto his face, "You can't go today because you have to attend a royal lesson… with your uncles."

"What?!" Zazu, Nala, and Kopa exclaimed in unison.

"Eh," Kicheko shrugged, not really fazed by Simba's response, "I've heard stranger things."

"You're kidding?" Kopa said in disbelief, "Uncle Timon and Uncle Pumbaa have a royal lesson for me?" Simba nodded, but Kopa was still thinking that this was just some joke. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind them teaching me something, but they don't seem like the kind of guys who can teach… you know, important stuff."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with the young prince with this one sire," Zazu said, "ever since they arrived they have done nothing but… well… nothing."

"Exactly," Everyone just looked at Simba, puzzled by his response. Then Simba looked back at his son, who was now very curious about this royal lesson, "You see Kopa: when I was a cub I was taught how to be a king by my father, the great King Mufasa; but your uncles taught me a few important things as well."

"They have?" Kopa asked curiously.

"Yes, and let me tell you: no king in the history of the Pride Lands has ever learned the lessons they have taught me. And today they are supposed to teach you those special lessons."

"Wow!" Kopa responded in awe, absorbing every word that Simba told him; Nala, Kicheko, and Zazu, however weren't all that impressed. They knew what Simba was talking about and they wouldn't exactly consider Timon and Pumbaa's lesson to be all that important.

"So you go and meet them at their home near the falls and tell them that I sent you so that you could learn their 'matto'." Simba winked at Kopa, which made the prince even more excited. Nala was about to say something, but Kopa cut her off.

"Alright! See you later guys! I got some king stuff to take care of!" in saying that, Kopa was about to dash down the stare case and make his way out into the savannah, but before he left he turned back and was wondering if his best friend would join him. "Hey Kicheko, you want to tag along?" The hyena let out a fake yawn and answered, "You know what? I think I hadn't had enough sleep last night. I think I'll just go and fix that while you do… whatever it is was you said you were going to do."

"Aw, come on K," Kopa persisted, "It just wouldn't be the same without you." Kicheko groaned, in annoyance. He knew Kopa well, and he knew the prince would not stop pestering him until he came along. And seeing how he wasn't going anywhere dangerous, he didn't really have an excuse for not coming. Letting out one more sigh, he reluctantly agreed to tag along, and together they went out to see Timon and Pumbaa.

"Stay safe you two." Simba called out to them.

"We will!" Kopa replied as he bounded down the rocky staircase.

"And Kicheko..." the hyena turned his head to Simba, who was giving him a knowing smile.

"Make sure Kopa behaves, alright?"

"You got it, Dad." Kicheko smiled. He and Simba had grown close ever since he was taken in by Simba's Pride. The Lion King was like a father to him, and it wasn't long until Kicheko started calling him and Nala Mom and Dad. They didn't mind, in fact, they enjoyed having Kicheko as an adopted son, more so then even they expected.

Simba watched as the two ran off down Pride Rock and out into the savannah, all the while, Zazu and Nala were staring at him, and saw that he was trying his best to not laugh.

"Simba?" Nala asked, now with a concerned tone in her voice, "What did you tell our son?"

"O… nothing," Simba shrugged, "Just that Timon and Pumbaa have an important lesson to teach him." Nala glared at Simba. She had a feeling she knew what he was referring too.

"You don't mean that ridiculous saying that they live by?" Zazu asked. Simba tried to act serious, but he couldn't hide his guilty smile that they knew all too well.

"Ah come on guys," he chuckled, "When has Hakuna Mhatata ever hurt anyone?"

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Meanwhile, Kopa and Kicheko had just made their way down Pride Rock and were now heading out into the savannah. As they walked along the narrow path that was littered with the footprints of several animals, Kopa began to rant on about what he was thinking, "Thanks again for coming with me, K. I wonder what Timon and Pumaa have to teach me that's so important. Maybe they'll show me how to summon lightning, or how to move a rock with my mind, or even how to…" Kopa wasn't paying attention to where he was going and suddenly ran face first into something hard. It sent him backwards onto his back and gave him a headache. Whatever it was, it felt as hard as a rock.

"What the…" Kopa moaned as the world around him came back into focus. He was not prepared for what he saw.

Kicheko only gulped as he saw what Kopa had run into. At first Kopa thought he had run into a small tree, but when he looked up he saw not a tree but a large brown lion with a thick black mane. To his right stood a tan lioness with a brown streak running down her forehead and behind him stood 3 other male lions; all with different fur colors and physical traits.

The Brown lion looked down at Kopa and Kicheko, his red eyes staring into their very souls. Naturally, they were a bit nervous.

"S-Sorry sir," Kopa stuttered.

"H-He runs into stuff all the time, honest. No harm done?" Kicheko mumbled in between whimpers. The lion's muzzled showed a strange toothy grin as he raised his paw and patted the young prince's head.

"No harm done kid." he said in a polite manner, "Just run along now." Not knowing whether to be scared or not, Kopa and Kicheko did as they were told. As the group watched the strange pair run out into the savannah, one of the lions, who had a grey pelt, spoke up.

"Vita," he said, "Do you realize who that was?"

"Of course you idiot!" the black maned lion barked, dropping the polite act he put on for the prince. "At the moment, our business is not with him, but the king. Now come, and remember, Let me do all the talking." As the grey lion started walking, the others followed suit; slowly but surely, making their way towards Pride Rock.

 **END of CHAPTER 6**

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 **Oh come on! Scar can't even wait like, 3 chapters to go ahead with his plan. He has to do it right in the next chapter? Seriously? I was hoping to get some fluff moments with Simba and his family but nooooooo... This is why no one likes villains.**

 **I wonder how things will play out at Timon and Pumbaa's. I'm excited to see how things will play out.**

 **See you all next week!**

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 **Review Response**

 **Kellin: I don't hate Simba. In all honesty he is like one of my most favorite characters in the Lion King. The problem is Scar does not like him so if there is anyone who needs to be put back in his place, it's him.**

 **Yingyangmaster: I know right? Though when it comes to him and Zira I have a feeling we may be seeing why not only her, but the others in his own Lion Guard follow him.**

 **Yeah... Nuka has some ways to go. But hey, while he's a single child with two parents I figured his attitude and personality wasn't exactly how it was in the series. So yeah.**

 **Money100: Oh boy... does Scar have a plan. Thanks again and I'll try to post every Wednesday.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again!**

 **Hope you all are doing well. It's been raining non stop down here for weeks.**

 **Well it is hurricane season, so what are you going to if not whether the storms.**

 **lol.**

 **I am so excited about this chapter. So far this one has been the most fun to write in the series.**

 **Please show me your love and support by writing a review and following the story. I respond to everyone.**

 **Now without further a due, let's get to it!**

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 **Ch. 7 The Uncles**

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Not far away from Pride Rock laid a small, lush oasis styled waterfall. Here we find Timon and Pumbaa hanging out near the small pond bellow it; doing what they do best: Relaxing and enjoying Hakuna Matata.

"Cannon baaaall!" The warthog screamed as he dived into the small pool of water. On the side lines, Timon was resting in a hammock that he made using banana tree leafs. Once they moved into the Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa lived with him at Pride Rock for the first couple of weeks. They enjoyed being with their best friend and adopted nephew, but living around a place with over a dozen carnivores made them… _uneasy_. So when the Pride Lands got back its green, the two decided to go out and get their first pick of the land. That's when they stumbled upon this miniature oasis that was simply perfect. It was just far enough so that the two could enjoy the peace and quiet, while at the same time just being close enough if they ever wanted to stop by and see Simba and his family.

"Ahhhh, this is the life." Timon said as he took another sip from his coconut cup. "No rules, no responsibilities, and best of all…"

"No worries!" He and Pumbaa said at the same time.

"I'm telling ya buddy, all those years of taking care of Simba are finally paying off."

"How so Timon?" Pumbaa asked as he waded in the pool.

"Look around!" Timon gestured with his hands, "we are living in prime A real-estate, we have a well-stocked fridge," he said as he lifted up a nearby branch and scooped out a handful of bugs and stuffed his face with them. "And best of all, we are off the menu for any and all carnivorous cats."

"Yes sir Timon, but still, don't ya miss the good old days when Simba was a cub?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Timon scoffed, "You think I'd miss saving him from waterfalls, having him use me for a chew toy, and being almost eaten me in my sleep because of his night cravings?! Yeeaash!" Timon shuttered as he thought back to all of those moments. "No way pall, I did my time, and I hope I never see another cub for as long as I… Yow!" Timon felt something just bolt into him, knocking him out of the hammock and onto his back. Timon opened his eyes to see that the entire world was now revolving in 3-D. When he looked up he saw six golden lion heads spinning above him.

"Oh no!" he yelled, "I'm having that nightmare again where I have to take care of six Simba's instead of one!" Right when he said that he heard laughter.

"You're funny, Uncle Timon." Timon shook his head, and suddenly all of the cub heads merged into one head. Then he realized who it was.

"Kopa!" the meerkat exclaimed as he got to his feet. Timon got off the ground and began brushing himself off, all the while looking annoyed at Kopa. It took him all morning to get settled in his hammock. Meanwhile, Kicheko was snickering as he watched from the sidelines.

"Ok," Kicheko laughed as he walked up to them, "I take it back. It was so worth coming here."

"Hey! It's Kopa and Kicheko!" Pumbaa greeted as he got out of the water. It wasn't often that they got a visit from their young nephews, so Pumbaa was really excited to see them; Timon, however, wasn't all that thrilled. Kopa was fine, it was Kicheko that he had problems with. Sure, just like the rest of the pride he got used to the hyena pup living with them but still he made Timon… _nervous,_ at times.

"Heh heh… hey kiddos," he said, trying to act excited, "Just for curiosities sake; shouldn't you two be out at Pride Rock… with Simba… away from here?"

"Nope!" Kopa shook his head, "Dad said, that you guys had something reeeeeaaaaly important to teach me. Something about some matto that will turn me into a great king."

"Eh," Kicheko shrugged, "I just tagged along to see how this would play out."

Right when Timon and Pumbaa heard the word "matto" they knew exactly what Kopa was referring to. Timon was about to object, but then a crazy thought passed through his mind. They already passed on their knowledge down to Simba, and his fellow meerkat colony, now his nephew is wanting them to teach him their ways of relaxation. In Timon's mind, this would be the beginning of a revolution. First they teach Kopa, then later when Kopa becomes king, he will pass down his knowledge to the rest of the Pride Lands, and soon their ways would spread through all of Africa; immortalizing their names, along with their matto: Hakuna Matata, into the very fabric of the Circle of life! It was genius; pure genius!

Kopa, Kicheko and Pumbaa just stared at Timon with confused looks, wondering why he was rubbing his hands together and laughing menacingly.

"Uhhh… Uncel?" Kicheko finally asked, "You alright? Did you eat a bad grub again?" Timon quickly snapped out of his daydream.

"Oh! Uh… right! The motto!" Timon then cleared his throat and said, "My dear nephews, it would be our privilege to teach you this… cherished secret; that every king, and animal, must know."

"Alright!" Kopa cheered as he bounced up and down.

"Oh… goody. I get homework to." Kicheko said with sarcastic enthusiasm. Pumbaa was also very excited.

"Ooh! Ooh! What's the secret? Tell us Timon! Tell us!" Clearly, he did not understand what Timon was talking about.

"Pumbaa…" Timon shook his head, "You already know it. What's our motto?"

"Ooooo," Pumbaa said, realizing his mistake, "Hakuna Matata!"

"What?" Kopa asked, confused by the word, "What is that?"

"That's our motto!" Pumbaa said proudly, "It means no worries."

"No worries huh?" Kopa asked as he pondered over the word. It did have a catchy ring to it. "Hapena Tamata."

"No! No! No!" Timon said while flailing his arms about. Was this some kind of joke? Was Timon going def and simply misheard his nephew? Yeah, that had to be it. "Repeat after me: Ha-ku-na, ma-ta-ta."

"Hakuna Matata." Kicheko said without any trouble. Kopa, however, didn't have such luck.

"Ha-poo-na, me-cha-cha?"

"Oh boy…" Timon mumbled under his breath, the reality of the situation setting in. "This… may be harder than I thought."

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The two spent hours trying to teach Kopa the way of Hakuna Matata; from eating bugs, to learning their matto, to just being down right lazy. To Timon's surprise, Kicheko was doing great. He even beat Pumbaa's old mantis munching record, but with Kopa… it didn't look like they were making much progress. Although Kopa enjoyed learning, the one area he constantly struggled in was relaxing.

As the day went on, Simba eventually came out to see how his old buddies were doing with teaching his son. When Simba arrived, he saw something he did not expect to see: Kopa looking discouraged, Kicheko picking mantis pieces out of his teeth, and a worn out meerkat and warthog. At first Simba was a little nervous to ask if everything was ok, but he eventually mustered up the courage to ask.

"So son, how did your lessons go?"

"Terrible," Kopa sniffed, "I'll never get this right!" Kopa then walked away with his head down, ears back and tail dragging in the dirt. Simba watched as his son then sat under a small tree, looking depressed and dejected. He then turned his attention to his friends.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'll tell you what happened!" Timon shouted, "That kid has massacred our beloved Hakuna Matata! He has turned it inside and out, crushed it, chewed it up, and spit it out!"

"But other than that he is doing great." Pumbaa said, trying to lighten the mood, though Simba knew that was not the case.

"Doing great?!" Timon scoffed, "Watch this: Hey Kopa!" he called out to the prince, "Remember our motto?" Kopa called back, "Akena Makata!"

"Ya see what I mean?" the meerkat said with an agitated tone then he motioned over to Kicheko, "I don't understand how your kid can't get this one simple thing down. Even the hyena understood it! THE HYENA!"

"Hey Dad!" Kicheko exclaimed in a sarcastic voice while motioning to Timon with his paws, "The meerkat is yelling at me! THE MEERKAT!"

"Ha, ha…" Timon replied dryly, while in a slumped position, understanding that Kicheko was mocking him. "it is to laugh."

"Come on guys," Simba said, "It's not Kopa's fault. He just doesn't know how to let go, get loose, and relax."

"Well if you ask me, I see no way to… Wait!" Timon said suddenly, an idea popping into his head, "I think I just got an eptomey!"

"Don't you mean an epiphany?" Pumbaa corrected.

"Whatever, bottom line is, I got a plan to turn workaholic over there into a good old fashion Hakuna Matata lover!" He pulled Pumbaa's ear in close and whispered something to him. As he whispered, Pumbaa's expression changed.

"Ohhhhhh," the warthog said, "now I get it!" Timon then turned to Simba and said,

"Don't worry pall, in a moment your son will be napping the day away and eating grubs like there is no tomorrow." And having said that, the dynamic du-o ran off towards Kopa.

Simba wanted to stay and make sure that Kopa was alright, but he had received word from Zazu that there were some strange lions who had entered the Pride Lands. He had just come back from the border patrol with no luck in finding them and decided to check on his son, but seeing how he, Kicheko and Timon and Pumbaa were all alright then there was no need to worry. He was about to get up and walk away, but he was stopped by Kicheko.

"Hey Dad?"

"Hm?" Simba looked back at his little laughter.

"I was just curious, why did you send us off to learn about Hakuna Matata? Don't get me wrong, it has its perks, but I personally don't see how it is going to help Kopa become a better king." Simba smiled at Kicheko. He began to have a newfound appreciation for the hyena's curious nature.

"The reason, Kicheko, is that one day Kopa will become king in my stead, and when that happens I want him to be able to balance out his life well. When I was your age, I used to get into all kinds of trouble and would go through my day without a care in the world, but all that changed when I became king. I'm trying to teach Kopa that there was a time and place for everything. Do you understand?

"Yes!" Kicheko nodded instantly, but after a moment to actually think about what Simba told him, he shook his head, "Actually no." Simba sighed and explained, "You see, back when I was young, Nala and I snuck off to that shadowy place to the north." Kicheko's jaw dropped when he heard that.

"Seriously!?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hm." Simba nodded. Kicheko still wasn't quite sure if Simba was being serious or if he was messing with him, so he argued, "No way! I thought no one was ever allowed to go there unless… wait a minute." A sly smile grew on his face, "You guys snuck over there even though you were told not to. Didn't you?" Simba smiled and let out a small laugh.

"Sometimes I feel like the Great Kings are giving me a taste of my own medicine," Simba mused, "giving me a son that's trying to make the same mistakes I made back then." Kicheko laughed along with Simba, thinking that that was very funny indeed. After their little laugh, Simba became serious again. "Yes Kicheko, I disobeyed my parents and went off on my own, and in doing so I nearly got your mother and I killed in the process. We wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for my father."

"Wow." Kicheko smiled. He found it quite ironic that Kopa was wanting to do the exact same thing that Simba did when he was a cub, but still, there was one thing that the young hyena pup didn't understand. "So, why did you want Kopa to go and learn about Hakuna Matata? Was it just an excuse to buy time?"

"Ha! No." Simba chuckled, understanding what Kicheko was thinking, "You see… I know my son is very eager in becoming king, so was I when I was his age, but… sometimes I feel like he's just going a bit too fast. I was hoping that in learning Hakuna Matata he would see how there was no need for him to rush life, when there is so much of life that he could be enjoying now; because before you know it, he'll be all grown up with his own wife and family, ruling the kingdom and having no time to do all the fun things he could have done as a cub." Simba's words began to make sense to Kicheko. All Simba wanted to do was try to help Kopa enjoy being cub while he's still young.

"I think I get it." Kicheko nodded.

"Good," Simba said while patting his adopted son's head, "I'm sure he'll learn it eventually."

"We can only hope." Kicheko smiled. Simba then began to walk back to Pride Rock, but Kicheko decided to tag along with him.

"Where are you going?" Simba asked when he saw Kicheko coming up behind him.

"Back home with you." Kicheko explained as he came up next to him, "I've already got Hakuna Matata down pat. Besides, those two have something planed for Kopa and I'd rather not get caught in the process." Simba chuckled and decided to let Kicheko walk with him. Ever since he came into his life, Simba found himself looking at Kicheko as an extra addition to the royal family. Though not everyone was thrilled about the hyena living with them, Kicheko was kind, understanding, and funny when he wanted to be. He was glad that Kopa had a friend like him to rely on.

As the king and the hyena pup began to make their way back to Pride Rock, Timon and Pumbaa were about to make one last attempt at teaching Kopa all about Hakuna Matata.

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"Kopa! Kopa!" Pumbaa called out, "we know what the problem is." Kopa heard his uncles, and he picked up his head from the side of the tree and looked back at them. His face had a few tearstains on them and he looked depressed.

"You do?" Kopa asked with a little bit of hope in his voice.

"Yep!" Timon said, "The problem, my pussycat prince, is that you don't know how to relax." Kopa frowned at them, a little offended by what they just said.

"I do to know how to relax!" he snapped, as he stamped his paw on the ground.

"Ok then," Timon said, while crossing his arms, "Prove it."

"I will!" Kopa then ran towards the pond. First, Kopa jumped into the pond and started swimming in circles.

"See!" he shouted, "relaxed!" Then he jumped out and started to chase a nearby butterfly. "Ooo, ahhh, almost gotcha! See guys, Relaxed!"

"Oh boy I hope this works," Timon said as he scratched his scalp with his forefinger, "Ok Kopa, I've seen enough." Kopa ran back to his uncles, panting from all the running he just did. "Look at you," Timon pointed out, "You look like you've worked all day with no play." Kopa looked at his uncles with a disappointed face.

"So what do I do then?" he asked. Timon smiled and said, "Let me show you how the professionals do it. trust us kid, we got it all worked out!" suddenly, the world around Kopa became black, accept for a small ray of light that shined on Timon and Pumbaa as they sat on nearby rock by the pond. Suddenly, colorful butterflies began to fly everywhere all the while music began to play. Kopa looked at his uncles with a confused expression in his face. Were they doing... a musical number?

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 **WARTHOG RHAPSODY**

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 **(Music starts playing)**

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **Now if you want a rooooole model, of a life most blissfully led, then look no further than**_

 _ **Pumbaa here, than this laid back quadruped.**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _R_** _ **elaxation is the name of the game, be cool and be thick skinned, let my lifestyle be your**_

 _ **reference frame…**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _A_** _ **s long as you stand upwind.**_

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 **Both** **:**

 ** _Y_** _ **our guide must beeeee this rhapsodyyyyyyyy!**_

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 **(pause)**

 **(Music starts back up)**

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **I gets up when I like!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _H_** _ **e's got it all worked out!**_

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 **Pumbaa** _ **:**_

 _ **I plan the day ahead.**_

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 **Timon** _ **:**_

 ** _H_** _ **e's got it all worked out!**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **hen inspiration strikes!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _H_** _ **e's got it all worked out!**_

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 **Pumbaa** _ **:**_

 _ **I go right back to bed.**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _H_** _ **e's got it all worked out!**_

 _ **But though we may not be one of nature's dina-moes,**_

 _ **his mind is o**_ _ **n The ball and far from comatose.**_

 _ **Don't dismiss the warthog philosophy. Take it from me, he's got it all worked out!**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from me!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _H_** _ **e's got it all worked out!**_

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 **(Music stops)**

"Burp! I'm starved!"

"Me to. What's for lunch?"

"Glad you asked kid. Should we tell him Pumbaa?"

"Ah ha!"

"Now listen to this! This is the important part."

 **(Music picks back up)**

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **Now who want to be a hunter, chasing food all over the place?**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **More often than not, it gets away…**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **Who needs the thrill of the chase?**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **Why move mountains to get your chum when you only need to move a log.**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **Make it your dietary resolve for now, to eat like the old warthog regaaaarding fooood…**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **Mmmm m!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **His attituuuuude.**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **Brrlblblblblbl!**_

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 **(pause)**

 **(Music starts back up)**

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **It's bugs for every meal.**_

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 **Pumbaa** _ **:**_

 _ **I got it all worked out!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 _ **So full of vitamins.**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 _ **I got it all worked out!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _N_** _ **o need to cook or peel!**_

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 **Pumba** **:**

 _ **I got it all worked out!**_

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 **Timon** _ **:**_

 ** _H_** _ **e eats them in their skin.**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 **(mouth full)** _ **I got it all worked out!**_

 **.**

 **Both** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **hey're delectable, available, the perfect snack. They ain't endangered species and they don't**_

 _ **fight back!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _D_** _ **on't dismiss the warthog gastronomy, take it from me!**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from me!**_

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 **Timon** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from he, he's got it all worked out!**_

 _ **'**_

"Come on, kid. It's now and ever. HIT IT PUMBAAAAAAAA!"

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 **All Three:**

 _ **So remember when you see us staring into space.**_

 _ **We're caught between a pillow and**_ _ **a soft, soft place.**_

 _ **Don't resist the warthog mentality!**_

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 **Timon** _ **:**_

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from he!**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from me!**_

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 **Kopa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from he!**_

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 **Pumbaa** **:**

 ** _T_** _ **ake it from we!**_

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 **All Three:**

 _ **We've… got it… all… worked…. Oooooooooooouuuuuuut!**_

 **(Muisic stops)**

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Once everything was calm, Timon took a minute to catch his breath. "Woo… woo… o boy," he panted. "I'm getting to old for this."

"Uhhhhh Timon." Pumbaa nudged.

"Not now buddy, can't you see I'm in the middle of something here? O boy… I knew I shouldn't have done that cartwheel."

"But Timon, you got to see this!"

"What? What could be so impor… o my." As Timon looked, he saw a sight he never thought he would ever see: Kopa, rocking back and forth in Timon's hammock, drinking out of a coconut. Timon and Pumbaa ran up to him, thrilled that their nephew _finally_ , knew how to relax.

"Timon." Pumbaa exclaimed, "I think he's got it!"

"Ha haaa," Timon laughed, "I told you it would work. Well Kopa, how does it feel to relax?" Kopa didn't answer, instead he just lifted his paw and gave them a thumbs up, or a paw up in this case.

"Come Pumbaa," Timon said proudly, "our work here is done." As the two walked away with their heads held high, Timon's hopes and dreams were suddenly dashed.

"Don't worry about me guys," Kopa lifted his head out of the hammock and called out, "I'm just going to stay here in this hammock, relaxing and catching up on some Hallina Min-chet-ta time." When Timon and Pumbaa heard how Kopa pronounced their motto, they both froze stiff, and fell backwards onto the ground.

As they both looked up into the sky, taking in what was now a hollow victory, Pumbaa turned to Timon and said, "Well… it's a start." Timon wasn't listening, instead he hung his right arm over his face and mumbled, "So much for the Hakuna Matata era."

 **End of Chapter 7**

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 **Encore!** **Encore!**

 **I found this song on "The best of the Lion King" CD. It's no Hakuna Matata, but it still had that Lion King feel to it.**

 **And just to be safe, all rights to the lyrics and song are to Disney yada yada yada. All that jazz.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed and if you did then please review and let me know your thoughts on the story, on the writing, all of it!**

 **Until then guys, See you all next week!.**

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 **Reader Reviews**

 **Md:**

 **Yep, every Wednesday I upload, I hope you enjoy. (Naah, sounds better in Finnish... "Toivon etta nautit."**

 **Gracekim1:**

 **Me to. Scar always brings something intriguing to the table in any Lion Kings story.**

 **Money100:**

 **No... these lions don't look friendly at all. I wonder when We'll see them again.**

 **Tg1210:**

 **It means so much that you think this is the best story in the sight. I promise I'm putting in a lot of work with these chapter. Thank you so much.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone. Happy 4th of July! (even though it's now the 5th.)**

 **Before I get started I wanted to give a big shout out to Yingyangmaster, Money100, Tg1210, Lunessa Mysterie, Gracekim1, and Dora Malena. Thank you all for following and reviewing this story. It means so much to me.**

 **Now let's see what happens next**

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 **Ch. 8 Return of the Guard**

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For most of the day, Kopa just relaxed in the hammock, enjoying the peace and quiet, as well as his coconut drink. He had to admit, it was a pretty nice feeling to just kick back and relax and be lazy for a moment. Still, after a while of just laying around and finishing his drink, he found himself becoming bored. So he decided to hop out of the hammock and head for home.

It wasn't too long of a walk, but still, Kopa felt a lot better getting out of the savannah heat and under the nice cool shade of Pride Rock's shadow. Walking up the slopes of Pride Rock, he noticed that something seemed a bit off. Usually when he came home around this time of the day his mother would be with the other lionesses, relaxing down by the base of Pride Rock after the morning hunt; but to the young cub's surprise, she was nowhere to be found; nobody was for that matter.

"Huh?" Kopa said to himself as he cocked his head and looked at the large vacant bolder where his mother usually sunbathed on, "That's… weird. Wonder where everyone's at." Suddenly, Kopa began to hear voices, coming from the upper parts of Pride Rock. One of them sounded like his father's voice, but the other ones sounded… different. Curious as to what was going on, Kopa made his way up Pride Rock, but right when he was about to get to the top...

"Hey!" Kopa exclaimed as he felt a paw suddenly clamp down on his shoulder and pull him off to the side. "What are you… Mph!" Kopa found a black paw being shoved over his mouth. It took Kopa a second, but he soon realized it was his hyena brother, Kicheko.

"Shush!" Kicheko snapped in a hushed tone, "Be quiet."

"K?" Kopa asked, using his nickname, "What's the big idea?" Kicheko released his hold on Kopa and motioned with his head over to the corner of the rock wall they were behind. Both Kopa and Kicheko walked stealthily over to the corner and peeked their heads just barely out from behind it to see what was going on.

Kopa saw that right outside the den stood Simba, Nala, Sarabi, Zazu and about four other lionesses and in front of them were four male lions, and a lioness all of which looked quite agitated.

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"I was wondering if we would ever see you all again." Sarabi said sarcastically.

"Ha!" one of the lions scoffed, "I see your spirit has not faded in the slightest, Sarabi." He stepped out and approached Simba and the group. Instantly all the lionesses growled menacingly at him, but the lion didn't even acknowledge them.

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Kopa could only stare in awe at the lion who approached his father. He had a dark black mane, and brown fur. The lion stared at Simba with beady red eyes, all the while he had a smug, toothy grin on his face.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"I don't know." Kicheko replied, all the while remaining quiet, "They were here when Dad and I got back. He told me to go inside but... I really want to know what's going on."

"Well I guess that makes two of us." Kopa said as they both continued to silently observe the conversation taking place.

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"So…" the lion began, "This… is the mighty Simba? The new Lion King?" He walked back and forth, observing Simba, which made the young king uneasy, but he dared not show it. "Yes…" the brown lion muttered to himself, "That mane, that bulky figure that certain glint in your eyes…" Then he looked back at Sarabi and said, "I honestly thought you all were pulling my tail at first, but this guy actually is Mufasa's boy."

"How do you know my father?" Simba asked when he heard Mufasa's name come from this stranger's mouth, "Who are you?"

"Oh, right. Where are my manners?" the brown lion gave Simba a mock bow and said, "My name is Vita. The two brothers are Brin and Brang, the skinny one is Tizamo, and the grump is Zira. She has a son but we left him back at the den; for safety reasons of course." Simba's eyes widened as his gaze locked onto Zira. This was her. This was the lioness that Sarabi had told him about. They were what was left of Scar's family. He studied Zira's appearance and saw that her expression didn't seemed to be in a mindset of grieving, but rather of anger.

"Anyway…" Vita continued, "As for how we know your father, we all knew him growing up. Right guys?" the other lions laughed in response, all except for the Zira, who just stared at Simba with a scowl on her face. Vita then turned back to Simba and said, "We were good friends with him and your uncle growing up. Bless their noble hearts."

"If by friends," Sarabi stepped up and walked beside her son and glared at the brown lion, "you mean a bunch of hooligans running around causing mischief and not respecting anyone or anything; then yes, you were once their friends."

"Ah… my dear, dear Sarabi," the brown lion shook his head in amusement, "You were always the stuck up, teacher's pet of the group. I see some things never really changed."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Sarabi said as she narrowed her eyes and gave Vita a sly smile, "Your breath is even less bearable then last we met." Vita scrunched his nose in annoyance while Brin and Brang began to snicker at Sarabi's words. Even after all this time, the queen could still give him goosebumps.

"Stubborn, and with a witty tongue…" Vita replied back as he walked straight up to Sarabi, their noses almost touching, "Mufasa sure knew how to pick em."

"Enough." Simba said sternly as he got between Vita and Sarabi. Between Vita's attitude and the fact that he was getting extremely close to his mother, Simba was starting to get a bad feeling in his gut about this guy. Standing tall and looking Vita in the eye, he spoke using his stern tone that he reserved for when he was dealing with serious matters, "What is your business in the Pride Lands?"

"Oh… so you want to get straight to the point?" Vita said smugly, earning a frown from Simba. Vita simply shrugged and said, "Well, to make a long story short, we all just wanted to pay a little visit to our old pal Scar and tell him we weren't able to complete our mission; but to our surprise we find the supposed dead son of Mufasa on the throne. So, you can imagine if a few of us are a bit… disappointed." On that last part, Vita glanced back at Zira who merely shot him a death glare in response. Vita then looked back at Simba and continued, "Now that Scar is dead and gone and the Pride Lands are back to their original green state, me and my colleagues would like to return to our original positions." Simba looked at Vita with a puzzled expression on his face.

 _Positions_? If his uncle gave these lions some manner of authority over the Pride Lands, then that would mean their loyalty was still unclear.

"What are you talking about?" Simba questioned them, "What positions?"

"Wait…" Vita said, seeing that Simba had no idea what he was referring too. He glanced over at Sarabi and laughed, "You never told him about the Guard? Oh this is just rich! Who ever heard of a king that never heard of the Lion Guard? Ha!" Simba just looked back and forth between his mother and Vita, not understanding what was taking place.

"First off, you all were never truly members of the Guard." Sarabi stated coldly, "Secondly, explaining the duties of the Guard was a privilege reserved for my husband, unfortunately, he was never given the opportunity to teach it to our son, thanks to Scar."

"How dare you!" Zira roared as she raced up to Sarabi and bared her teeth at her, yet the queen didn't flinch, "How dare you accuse Scar of murdering his own brother! He would do no-"

"Zira!" Vita snapped, getting in between her and Sarabi before a fight broke out, "Get a hold of yourself!" Zira growled at Vita, but he gave Zira an equal expression of anger. There was a moment of silence before Zira's expression softened and she returned to her place beside the other lions.

Simba silently observed everything that took place before him, and he did not like what he saw. Vita claimed to be an old acquaintance of his father, however, he also seemed to be on good terms with his late uncle. And since they arrived at Pride Rock, Simba saw that his mother was not pleased in the slightest to see any of them. Not to mention Zira's attitude towards them was clearly not a good one. Inside, Simba knew that Vita and his gang were trouble, however, he did not forget about what he said he would do if Zira was ever to return to the Pride Lands. His heart felt pity towards the lioness, for he couldn't imagine what she was going through. Though he himself despised his uncle for what he did to his father and his kingdom, Zira had loved him; and finding out that the lion she loved was dead must have taken a toll on her. Then there was Nuka…

"My apologies, my king," Vita's words snapped Simba out of his train of thought, "Zira has been… on edge… as of late." Simba looked back at the lioness, and was met with the same angry glare she had on her face ever since they arrived.

"I'm sure she has been," Simba replied. Then he remembered what they mentioned earlier, "What did you mean earlier when you talked about a guard?" Vita was about to answer, but Sarabi cut him off.

"That, my son, is something that I must show you." As she spoke, she glared at Vita. The brown lion shook his head, amused by the retired queen's behavior.

"Come on Sarabi," he mused, acting as if this entire things was some kind of game, "I understand we've had our differences in the past, but can't we put all that aside? How was I supposed to know Scar was sending us after your son?" Vita's eyes instantly widened and he bit his lip when he realized what he had just said. Simba and the pride growled in anger, not understanding what was going on, and Sarabi… to say she was infuriated by what she heard would be a great understatement.

Before Vita could say anything more, the old lioness let out an angry roar, lunged at him and pinned him to the floor. Vita began gasping for air as the retired queen pressed her paw up into Vita's throat, choking him. Vita could only stair at the queen cold, fiery eyes as she slowly began to choke the life out of him.

"What did you say?!" Sarabi bared her teeth. It took nearly every ounce of self-control in her body to keep her from biting off Vita's head right then and there. Everything was deathly quiet as everyone watched to see what Sarabi would do.

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On the side lines, Kopa and Kicheko held their breath, thinking that their grandmother was about to do something… violent.

"Come on." Kopa nudged, "We have to help them."

"Help them?!" Kicheko looked at Kopa as if he was crazy, "There are five of them and only two of us. We'll only get in the way."

"But we can't just do nothing." Kopa replied, looking desperate, trying to think of someway to help. "What would Dad do in this situation?"

"Well since Dad is here," Kicheko pointed out, "why don't we just let him deal with this." Kopa was about to reply when they both suddenly heard someone clear their throat. They both looked back to see the grey lion suddenly approach Sarabi and Vita.

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Sarabi wanted to rip Vita's throat out for what he just said, but before she could, one of the lions in Vita's group, the skinny grey furred lion named Tizamo, gingerly approached her and Vita. He stood just a few feet away from the retired queen and his overly confident friend, then he spoke, with a voice that was calm and collected. One could say that he spoke as if he was of royalty.

"Sarabi," he said, "Please be a dear and let the moron up so that I may explain." Sarabi glared at Tizamo, then she looked back at Vita as he continued to squirm under her paws, unable to breath. Mentally, she loved watching his face turn blue, unable to do anything to get out of his predicament. It reminded her of when they were once cubs and she would choke him until he tapped or say that she was better than him in every way; but she knew that such things were for cubs. She was an adult now and even still she had to get a hold of herself; even though Vita still got under her skin. Reluctantly, she listened to Tizamo's request and let up the smelly black maned imbecile.

Tizamo watched with amusement as Vita hastily walked back to the group and stood over by Zira, who merely rolled her eyes at him and muttered, "Pathetic."

"Sarabi, your highness," Tizamo addressed the royal family, "Since Scar is dead, there is no reason for us to be beating around the bush on the subject of why we are here." The grey lion looked at Simba with sympathy in his eyes before explaining, "My boy, I don't know what your mother and mate have told you, but it is best you know the truth as to why we are here. Not long after Scar took control over the Pride Lands, he called each of us to leave our old prides and come here in order for him to bestow a great honor upon us. When we arrived we saw that the entire pride was infested with hyenas, and seeing how their numbers were far greater than the lionesses in the pride, we feared for the security of Scar's pride. Coincidently, Scar was thinking the exact same thing. If there were ever to be an up rise, whether by the hyenas or lionesses, he would need protection. So he summoned us, his old and loyal friends, and personally bestowed upon the sacred positions of the Lion Guard."

Upon hearing this, the fellow Pride Landers began to whisper amongst themselves. Simba looked back at his pride, not understanding what was going on. Some of the lionesses were surprised upon hearing this news, while others showed great anger in their features. Even Sarabi and Nala looked at Tizamo with fury in their eyes. Simba still didn't understand what was going on. Never in his life had he heard about this, 'Lion Guard,' but clearly they played a major role in the kingdom.

Tizamo watched as the pride talked amongst themselves. He should have expected much, seeing as none of them knew their true purpose for being in the Pride Lands in the first place. His gaze then went back to the royal family, and saw how Simba looked confused while Sarabi and Nala glared at him in anger. The skinny lion could tell by the Lion King's expression that he would most likely ask about the Guard, but he addressed Simba before he even had a chance to ask.

"The Lion Guard was before your time, King Simba," Tizamo said, making sure to choose his words carefully in order to avoid Sarabi's wrath. He saw what happens when the old lioness got angry. "I'm sure your mother will explain more about them, but just know that their main duty was to ensure the protection of the Pride Lands as well as their king." Then Tizamo continued his story, "Scar appointed us as the new Lion Guard over the Pride Lands, though he was extra careful not to make that known to the pride for… security purposes."

"If your job was to protect us then you failed miserably!" everyone was taken back when Nala finally spoke up, "All those times we would be out hunting in order to feed ourselves, only to have what little we had stripped away from us by the hyenas; where were you?!" Though Nala's words dripped from her mouth like venom from a snake, Tizamo stood firm, making sure to put on a stoic face.

"My dear Nala," he sighed, "Scar gave us orders not to interfere with his hyenas. We were just obeying our king." Tizamo's answer did not calm Nala's anger, in fact, it seemed to make it grow.

"So that's it then?!" Nala scoffed, "You all just stayed back and did nothing while the pride you were supposed to protect with your very lives withered away to nothing?! You have no remorse for this pride. No wonder you all left when things turned bad."

"We did not leave because of the conditions," Tizamo quickly responded, "we left because it was Scar's orders." Now it was Nala and Sarabi's turn to be confused at what Tizamo meant. They all thought they left so that Zira would not be alone out there with her cub, but they really left because Scar told them to. Why?

Simba was the next to speak up, "Why would he send you all away if he needed you all so badly?" Tizamo was silent for a moment as he just glared at Simba with his amber eyes. Then he gave him an answer that nobody was expecting.

"One day," Tizamo explained, "Scar had awoken from a dream in fright. He claimed that he had received a vison of his future…" Before Tizamo could continue, the two brown brothers, Bring and Brang stepped forward and started to speak. Both had gruff voices and their eyes narrowed at Simba as they spoke.

"King Scar dreamed that a usurper would come and take his kingdom away from him!" Brang said as he bared his teeth at Simba.

"Yes…" Bring followed his brother, "The mighty One was very specific. His throne would be stolen from him by a lion, whose fur was a gold as honey and whose mane was as red as the sunrise."

"He ordered us to go out and find this usurper before he could come and steal the throne from him." Brang said, watching as Simba's eyes widened in realization of whom they were talking about.

"We looked everywhere," Zira growled, "But we found no lion that matched Scar's description."

"And now…" Vita stepped back into the conversation, "We return to find that our King's prediction has come to pass. You, King Simba, are that lion." Simba's stern face did not falter, though inside he was still struggling to take in all that he had heard. These lions… Scar had sent them out to kill him. To make sure he would never return and claim his rightful place as king. The thought of it all made the Lion King feel a bit nostalgic. This group, Scar's Lion Guard, returned to tell Scar that they had no luck in their mission only to find the lion that they had been searching for all this time sitting on the throne. This now made Simba wonder what their motives were now that they knew that their king was dead. Well… there was only one way to find out.

"So now what?" Simba stated calmly and with authority, looking at the group of lions whom his Uncle had sent to kill him, "You are no longer bound to Scar's word. You can all live peacefully in the Pride Lands without any conflict. There is no reason to continue this deranged mission." Tizamo was about to respond, but before he could, Zira rushed passed him and lunged at Simba, catching everyone by surprise. The Lion King could only brace himself as the angry lioness pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.

"You have the audacity," Zira seethed through gritted teeth, "To come here and dethrone Scar and then mock him openly in front of us?! I swear, Scar's last request will be carried out and you will die by my hands!"

Both sides were shocked by what had just taken place. Tizamo and the others knew from the start it was a bad idea to bring Zira along. He figured her newfound hatred for Simba would make her disgruntle towards Simba, but he didn't realize she would go this far as to openly attack him. She was not sticking to the plan, and that in itself made this situation dangerous. Still, Vita decided to go along with it.

"Ha!" he scoffed at the sight. "The Mighty Lion King, taken down by a lioness in a single move. Oh if only the other animals could see how weak their ruler truly was." On Simba's side, Nala, Sarabi gasped in shock at what was taking place before them. If something wasn't done soon, Zira was going to kill him. Zira raised her paw in the air, her long sharp claws curving out, and right when she was about to strike…

"Get away from my dad!" All eyes turned towards the new voice and both Simba's pride and Scar's followers were shocked by what they saw: a cub with a small red patch of fur on his head standing beside his father, teeth bared and his body shaking furiously.

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Kopa didn't know what was going on, but he just couldn't sit by and let these strangers talk to his family like that. When he saw the lioness pounce on his dad, something arose inside the young cub, a fire, a surge of anger, a desire to help. Reacting before he thought things through, Kopa jumped out from his hiding spot and charged at the lioness while Kicheko was calling for him to come back.

"Kopa wait! Don't-" but it was to late. Kopa screamed at the lioness with as much authority as he could muster, but it didn't take long for the cub to realize the situation he was truly in. Instead of backing off, the lioness looked at Kopa with an evil smile now plastered on her face.

"What is this? A cub playing hero?" she practically laughed, but then she noticed it. The cub's features… they were practically identical to Simba's. The fur, the eyes, that infuriating spirit she could see in him… the truth hit Zira immediately and in an angry response she seethed through gritted teeth, "This is your son. Isn't it, Simba?" All the courage Kopa had moments before began to fade into fear as he watched the lioness stare at him with her piercing amber eyes. The prince's heartrate quickened and he began hearing a voice in the back of his head telling him to run, but his body just shook in terror.

Simba was afraid for his own life when Zira attacked him, but now, he felt an all too familiar fear surface inside as he watched the lioness' murderous gaze shift towards his son. The look of utter terror on Kopa's face brought back memories into his head; memories of fear, of the gorge… of his father. Suddenly, Simba felt something else arise within him; courage, bravery… anger. Anger at these lions for following his murderous uncle, anger at the lioness, who he was willing to give a second chance, for attacking him; but most of all, he was angry at Zira for threatening to take away his family, his child… his Kopa. Suddenly, flashes from his past came flooding back into his mind, of the day he had lost his father... and his experience in the stampeed.

" _Zazu help me!"_

" _Your father is on the way. Hold on!"_

" _Hold on Simba!"_

" _Dad! NOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"NO!" Simba's roar was so fierce and loud that nearly everyone in the Pride Lands could hear it. He then used his new found strength to push Zira off of him with his hind legs, sending her flying back onto the ground next to her companions. As he got to his feet, Nala rushed in and grabbed Kopa by his scruff and brought him back over by Sarabi. The other pride members followed Nala's example and tried to rush to Simba's aid, but stopped them.

"Stay back," he ordered, his eyes narrowed at Scar's followers. He then addressed Vita's group, "I wanted to hear you out, but I will not stand for violence in my kingdom. Stand down or else!" On the other side, Zira was having a word with her own group.

"Zira, enough!" Tizamo growled, "This wasn't part of the plan! I knew it was a mistake to bring you and I was right! You will stand down now or-"

"I will do no such thing!" Zira roared back, "I'll make him pay for what he's done!" in saying this, she once again lunged at Simba, but this time the Lion King was ready. Simba countered by lunging back at her. Both lions collided midair. Simba's size and strength overwhelmed Zira as he quickly slammed her down on the ground. Having the wind knocked out of her and being unable to get out of Simba's grip, the fight was over before it even began.

"You…" Zira gasped as she tried to catch her breath, "You… will… pay… I swear it." Simba paid no attention to Zira as she made threats to him. Any thoughts of accepting her and her family back into the pride was now out of the question. He would not let such violence be allowed in the Pride Lands, let alone anywhere near his family. Looking back at the so called 'Scar's Guard', he proclaimed: "I was willing to hear you out, and this is how you respond? As long as I live, none of you will be welcome back into the Pride Lands, nor around my family!"

The Lion King then got off of Zira, leaving her helpless on the ground, and walked up to Vita with his teeth bared. Both lions stared at each other with death like glares. Both looked as though they were going to tear the other one's head off, but neither of them moved a muscle. All the while, everyone silently watched to see what would happen. Finally… the silence was broken as Simba growled in a low tone, "Get. Out."

"You tell em, Dad!" Everyone looked back to see that it wasn't Kopa who just said that, but Kicheko. The hyena had seen what his brother had done for their father and though he just wanted Kopa and himself to remain out of harms way, something inside made him feel terrible for not going with him. If he was willing to stand up to that scary lions… then… so could he.

"What is this?!" Vita laughed, at the sight, "I knew some lions could make some ugly cubs but this one takes the cake!" Suddenly, Vita found himself on the ground as a huge golden paw slammed into the side of his head and sending him a few feet away. None of the guard moved nor made an attempt to help their companion. The mission was over and anything else Vita said from that point on was his own doing.

"You will not show anymore disrespect to me or my family, Vita." Simba growled.

"What?" Vita asked, as he rubbed his sore muzzle with his paw as Simba slowly approached him, "Family? Let me give you some life lessons, kid: adopting some stray mutt doesn't make him apart of this pride. Scar may have had hyenas at his side but they were a tool, a means to an end. What you have here, is downright pathetic. A hyena who's trying to fit in with a bunch of lions? That's like a hippo trying to adopt a giraffe. He doesn't belong here and he never will and there is nothing you can do to change that."

"The only ones who don't belong here is you." Simba growled back, "And if you don't leave this moment, I'll see that all of you receive the harshest punishments possible; not for disrespecting me, but threatening and harassing my family."

"Yeah! You leave, K alone you bulllies!" Kopa cheered for his father before his mother pushed him back behind her and the other lionesses.

Whether it was how Simba got in his face or the fact that the cub's cheer angered him, Vita found himself growing very agitated. Never in his life had someone barked at him, stood his ground to him, all except for one lion from his youth, Mufasa. Vita was glad when he heard Scar had taken his place. Even though Scar was the king, he at least treated Vita with respect knowing that neither the brown lion nor his companions cared that he had an army of hyenas behind him. Now here he was, back in the Pride Lands being ordered to leave by the very spawn of the lion he loathed. And to add insult to injury, Sarabi insulting and humiliating him only made him even angrier.

"Your father will pay for his crimes against King Scar, boy; keep that in mind." Vita seethed at the young cub, trying to intimidate him, but Kopa stood his ground.

"Scar was never the true king!" he shouted back, finding a newfound courage within him now that his parents and pride were with him.

Simba could see it in Vita's eyes. A fire. Not the type of passionate fire, but a dark and fire, fueled by a hateful soul and a murderous mind. Simba braced himself, ready if Vita tried to make a move against him or his family, but Vita's attack never came.

"Alright, 'your highnesses,'" Vita seethed, "Well leave, and you'll never hear from us again."

"But Vita, you can't-"

"Enough, Zira!" Vita growled back with fury in his voice, "I will have a word with you about your actions today when we get back." Not another word was spoken by any of the other members after that. With a nod of his head, the others understood that Vita was ordering them all to leave. One by one, Scar's personal guard of lions walked down Pride Rock and began to make their way out into the savannah. Vita was the last of them to start making his way down, but as he turned his back to leave, he looked over his shoulder at Simba and gave him one finale word of advice to the young king.

"Your pride may look up to you, but they know the truth. You were young when you left and now you have returned to a life you were never prepared for. No matter what, you'll never be a great king like Mufasa." Vita said with a toothy smile. Having said that, the lion made his way down Pride Rock to join up with the rest of his group.

 **End of Chapter 8**

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 **Daaaaaaaaaaaang. That took an interesting turn.**

 **Seems as though Sarabi has a history with these lions. And what is all this talk about a guard?**

 **I hope Simba is taking all of this very well... I hope.**

 **I guess we'll have to wait till next week.**

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 **Review Response:**

 **yingyangmaster: I'm so glad you liked the musical number I threw in there. It was a experiment and I'm glad to see that you liked it.**

 **Money100: Yeah... I guess Hakuna Matata comes easy to only a few. lol.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! So sorry about the delay.**

 **I tried posting it on the day that I said I would but I don't think the notification went through, so I'm reposting it today.**

 **To make it up to you all, I present to you one LONG chapter for you guys to enjoy.**

 **Now just know I have an important announcement to make at the end, but besides that, let's get on with the story.**

 **OH! and before I forget, I want to give a SHOUT OUT to yingyangmaster, Money100, and Tg1210 for your consistent reviews and thoughts on the story. Your insight and support mean a lot.**

 **And also, SHOUT OUT to Dora Malena, JJWalker12, TwisterLea, and jayjaymcnaenae for following my story. Glad to have you aboard! **

**(To all of you other followers, know that I love and appreciate you. I'm just starting the shout out thing and I wanted to start with the newcomers who came during July. Please bare with me."**

 **Now enough chit chat. On with next chapter!**

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 **Ch. 9 Shaken Faith**

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Simba Watched as Vita, Zira and the others went out of sight over the horizon and breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing went like he thought it would in his mind. He thought he could talk to them, understand them, try to work things out with them, but in the end all he did was gain more enemies. As he watched, Vita's words ran over and over again in the back of his head.

" _Oh if only the other animals could see how weak their ruler truly was."_

" _What you have here is downright pathetic."_

" _You'll never be a great king like Mufasa."_

Simba told himself that those were just lies, words Vita used to get under his skin, yet as he thought about it, he could see the truth in them. What did he truly know about being king? Ever since his return he had felt like he had been struggling to rule the Pride Lands. Sure, his return had encouraged many of the animals to come back, but the only reason most of them were even here was because of the elephants, and yet still not all the animals had returned because they didn't trust that Simba was the true Lion King. Even some of the animals still living with him didn't accept him and were skeptical about a new monarch ruling these lands. How could he regain their trust when he himself didn't know how to be king?

"Simba!" Nala rushed up to her mate and put her head under his chin, "That was amazing! I'm so glad you're alright." There was no response. Nala looked to see Simba's face looked pale as he continued to stare out into the distance, not even acknowledging her being there. She tried again, "Simba? What is it?"

"I…" Simba stuttered at first, unable to look at Nala. How could he admit to her, to the pride that he was scared? They all looked up to him. They all trusted him. Would his father have handled this situation the way he did? Would he had been scared of their threats? Could he have prevented them from threatening his family?

Suddenly, Simba's eyes fell on his son as he looked at his father with hopeful eyes. He was so close… so close to losing him. What would have happened if something truly did happen to Kopa? He let his son get into harm's way… and if Simba hadn't done something then Zira would have… No. He wouldn't think like that, in fact, he wouldn't think on any of this while in the presence of others. Simba didn't know what to do, but he knew that he couldn't remain here… or face his pride.

Without warning, he turned around and ran past Nala. She looked back in shock as Simba made his way through the crowed of lionesses, who were shocked as well, and ran up the spiraling staircase that led to the very top of Pride Rock. Everyone began to murmur to each other at what had just happened. Nala was about to go after him, but a sudden paw on her shoulder stopped her.

"Nala, don't." Sarabi said. Nala looked back at her mother-in-law and saw the concern in her eyes.

"But he needs us." Nala countered.

"Yes… he does." Sarabi nodded, "Now more than ever, Nala." Sarabi sighed before she explained, "I need you to gather the pride inside the den and calm them down. I need you to tell them what I'm about to tell you: We are safe. Zira and the others are gone. We can all go back to what we were doing. They will understand if you tell them this, Nala."She took a moment and gazed at the direction Simba had just ran as she continued, "Simba is still learning how to be a king and he will continue to learn throughout his entire rule. He needs to learn this, Nala… and I need to show him. Please let me talk to him… alone." Nala may have been Simba's mate, but she knew that Sarabi was right. The best way to help was the keep order amongst the pride and to keep her son safe. Speaking of her son…

"Is Dad alright?" Kopa asked, looking up and her with a concerned expression.

"Your father is fine. He just… needs a moment to think about some things." Nala said in a soft voice yet it immediately grew stern, "But right now we need to talk about your actions today, young man."

"Me?" Kopa asked, shocked by what his mother said.

"Yes you." She replied, "What were you thinking when you ran out at Zira? She is dangerous, Kopa. If it wasn't for your father you could have been hurt, or worse..." Kopa laid his ears back at his mother's tone. He knew that she wasn't happy at all with him.

"Now, Nala." Sarabi said, stepping in on this conversation, "He was only trying to help."

"Would you have let Simba do such a thing when he was that young?" Nala countered. This earned a knowing sigh from Sarabi. Of course she wouldn't dream of putting her Simba in harm's way… even if he had good intentions.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Mom." Kopa sighed, feeling bad that his mother wasn't happy with him. "I just... I didn't want her to hurt Dad." Nala sighed when she heard this. She understood that Kopa meant well... even if his actions scared her to death.

"We'll talk about this later." She said, wanting to get off the subject for at least a little while longer. "Now come on. Let's go inside with the others." Gesturing with her head, Nala directed Kopa to follow her and the rest of the pride into the den. Quietly, Kopa followed behind her, now feeling terrible for his actions.

Now that she was alone, Sarabi looked out into the distance at the vast savannah as the sun slowly began to set, leaving the Pride Lands in a shadowy orange like glow. They had just restored the Pride Lands to its natural state. The pride didn't need another conflict ruining all that they worked so hard to achieve. It troubled the retired queen to see that Zira and the others had returned, for she knew that they would most likely not be gone for long. But what really troubled her was what Vita told her son. Growing up with Vita, and the others, Sarabi knew that he was a habitual liar and had a way with words. Yet… his final words continually rang over and over in Sarabi's mind.

" _Your Pride may look up to you, but they know the truth. You were young when you left and now you have returned to a life you were not prepared for."_

Sarabi hated to admit it, but Vita was right. Simba was still not prepared for his role as king. That's not to say he was doing a terrible job; after all, he had been settling disputes with many of the herds ever since they returned, plus he held his own against Vita, Zira, and the others like a true king would, but there were still some things that he could not learn that he needed to be shown if he was to ever rule successfully. Sarabi may have ruled alongside Mufasa and used her leadership skills to hold the pride together during the reign of Scar, but still… there were rules, traditions, and protocols that were meant solely for the king to follow and carry out that not even she was aware of. Simba did not need help from a former queen but instead a king. Hmm… a _king_ …

"Sarabi!" a voice hailed her from overhead. Sarabi looked up to see Zazu, the blue hornbill and Major Domo come swooping down and landing before her, before giving her a polite bow with his wings spread out wide. "I followed those ruffian's straight to the border. They should be just arriving in the Out Lands by now."

"Thank you, Zazu." Sarabi replied as he gave the hornbill a sad smile.

"Um… and one other thing…" Zazu said as he twiddled with his forefathers, looking a bit guilty, "I am terribly sorry that I let Zira and the others slip past my sight. I don't know how they were able to approach Pride Rock without me catching ear or tail of them." Sarabi merely shook her head and smiled. Zazu would always try so hard to please. He would always go above and beyond what he was asked to do, for his loyalty to the royal family ran deep and never did he want to do anything to displease Sarabi, or Simba and Nala for that matter.

"Don't worry, Zazu." Sarabi replied, "It was a simple mistake. There is no need to beat yourself up about it."

"But there is!" Zazu countered as he flew up and hovered next to Sarabi's head, looking her dead in the eye as if to express his dire concern, "If I could have just seen them coming earlier then they wouldn't have gotten so close to Pride Rock, and maybe the pride wouldn't have had to go through all that has taken place this evening." Zazu then gazed at the ground, his expression turning sad as he began to explain. "The last time I couldn't see the danger before it was too late… I lost someone very dear to both of us… your late husband." Sarabi gasped at what Zazu just said, starting to understand what was going through the hornbill's mind. "And now that Simba has returned I wanted to make sure that what happened back then would never happen again. Today Simba could have… I mean... if they wanted to then they-"

"Zazu Horatio Hornbill!" Sarabi said sternly, causing Zazu to flinch, "Don't you dare start blaming yourself for what happened to Mufasa and don't you dare think for a second that you failed us!" taking a moment to catch her breath, Sarabi replied in a more calm manner, "I know you've helped us so much, ever since Simba's return. You will never fully realize how much Simba, Nala, myself, and the others appreciate your work as Major Domo. You are the most loyal, most trustworthy companion anyone could ever ask for and for that I am truly grateful to you, but you should know by now that Scar was the one responsible for the death of Mufasa; not my son and most defiantly not you. And I don't want to hear how the incident today was your fault either. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and all we can do is learn from them. Let us just be thankful that no one was hurt today."

For the first time in a long time, Zazu was left utterly speechless at Sarabi's words. He never knew she felt that way about him before. Well… he knew, but this was the first time she ever said anything about it.

"I…" he began, feeling the words caught in his throat, "Thank you… Sarabi. I'm happy to know that you are not displease with me."

"Good. Now that that is out of the way." Sarabi began, "We need to discuss the next issue to deal with."

"You mean his majesty, Simba?" Zazu asked as his gaze went to the top of Pride Rock, where he could see the golden figure of a lion on the very edge, looking out at the sunset, "Do you want me to let him know of the group's whereabouts?"

"No, no." Sarabi replied, "I'll deal with my son, but first I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything." Was Zazu's instant reply.

"Well…" Sarabi began as she got close to the hovering hornbill, "I want you to…" she then whispered something into Zazu's ear hole which caused the hornbill's eyes to widen.

"What?!" Zazu exclaimed, losing a couple of feathers in his outburst. Sarabi merely nodded her head. "B-But Madam Sarabi that could take days, a week's flight at most! And we don't even know if he would be willing to make the journey!"

"Well then." Sarabi chuckled, "I guess you better get to flying then."

"B-But what about the Pride Lands?!" Zazu exclaimed, feeling as though he was about to have a panic attack, "There is so much to do! There's the starting of the zebra grazing, the overseeing of the flamingo migration, and let's not forget that you still have five bloodthirsty lions out there somewhere! GAAH!"

"You let me worry about those things." Sarabi said as she nudged Zazu away with her head, causing the hornbill to squawk in discomfort, "Now get a move on. You said you would do anything, now is your chance to prove it; or would you rather I start letting everyone know that I'm in the market for a new Major Domo?"

Zazu knew that Sarabi was only joking with threatening to replace him if he didn't do what he was asked to do, but he also knew… she could still replace him if she wanted to. Not to mention he did say earlier that he would do anything for her. Grumbling under his breath and upset that he opened his big bill, Zazu took off towards the mountain pass in order to fulfill Sarabi's request. He knew what she was thinking, and he had to admit that the idea did have promise of helping Simba, but still… he hated flying over there when Mufasa was king and now here he was flying back over there again. Aw well… hopefully this time he can make it back to the Pride Lands without _a certain someone_ getting lost again.

Sarabi watched as Zazu flew out into the distance towards his destination. Hopefully he would be able to return safely with what she needed to help Simba.

Simba!

She had almost forgot that she still needed to talk with him about some things. Knowing that now would be the best time to do so, she make her way up the spiraling staircase to see her son.

'

* * *

'

He couldn't… he just couldn't do it. How could he face everyone after that fiasco that just took place? What kind of king was he, unable to protect his family and pride from the intruders? He tried so hard to stand tall, to look powerful; to do what he believed his father would have done, but he knew it was a joke. They didn't look at him as a king, or even a leader. They saw him for what he knew he was: a child, a cub just trying to play king.

Simba began to gasp as his body shook from the stress he felt just moments ago. A small tear slowly fell from his eye as he tried so hard to keep his emotions in check. Honestly, it felt like that was the only thing he could keep in check. The revelation of Scar's guard's mission to kill him… Zira sudden attack that left him defenseless… the sight of his terrified son as Zira looked at him with a murderous glare… Vita's departing words… It was just too much for the Lion King to process, or handle for that matter. He was so caught up with his thought that he didn't even notice his mother who was now sitting not too far away behind him.

"Simba…" Simba flinched at the sound of his own name. He looked back to see Sarabi standing not too far away from him. She gave him a sad smile, but remained where she was. Simba didn't know what to think. He was happy to see his mother here, yet at the same time he felt so ashamed for allowing her to see all that took place. That was when Sarabi spoke again and asked, "May I… join you?"

"O-Of course." Was Simba's immediate reply. He may have been in a depressed state, but he wouldn't dream of pushing away his mother, ever. He had spent so many years without her by his side, so any moment he could be by her mattered a great deal to the Lion King.

Slowly, Sarabi approached Simba and sat down next to him. Then there was silence. Simba looked at his mother, waiting for her to say something, anything, but she did nothing. She merely looked out at the sun as it slowly set over the horizon. Not knowing whether he should talk or remain quiet, Simba followed her gaze. Both mother and son now looked out at the land before them; the Pride Lands, their land, their kingdom, their home. Both of them loved this land as well as all who lived in it, and would do anything to keep it from being destroyed like it was so many seasons ago by Scar. Simba didn't know what to say, if there was anything to say at all. That is when Sarabi suddenly broke the silence.

"I remember the day Mufasa took you up here." Simba looked back at his mother, whose gaze remained fixed on the sunset before her, and was shocked. He was not expecting her to say what she just said. "You were so excited to begin your royal lessons. Even for one so young, you knew that you were destined for great things in this life." her smile widened as she recalled those precious moments when her son was but a child and her mate was still alive, "I remember when you were just learning your first words… You would always want to go see where 'Daddy' was. I would tell you that your father would come back later and you would pout and ask why. I would tell you that he was king and that the animals needed his help." She then looked back at Simba and asked him, "Do you know what you would then tell me?"

Simba thought for a second about what his mother was saying. She was talking about when he was really little, just getting out of his spots. He barely remembered anything from that far back, so he merely shook his head. Sarabi smiled and said, "You would tell me 'Mommy, one day I'll learn how to be king and I'll help Daddy so that he won't be so busy anymore'. Did you know that?"

"N-No…" Simba said, a bit surprised by the story Sarabi told him, "I… I didn't know." What was Sarabi getting at? It wasn't like her to suddenly start telling a story from his cubhood. True, she would tell Kopa and Kicheko stories from his past, but never one's going that far back. Simba thought about these things, all the while he listened as his mother continued.

"Then when you got older…" Sarabi continued, "You would follow your father everywhere, begging him to have him begin teaching you how to be king. Sometimes he would even come home and complain to me that you would pester him about it so much that he thought his mane would turn grey years before he was actually old. Then one day…"

"He promised to start my lessons bright and early the next day." Simba finished. Now _that_ was a moment he did remember. Little did Simba realize as he listened to what Sarabi was telling him, his body began to relax and his thoughts were focused on his mother and past memories instead on what had happened earlier.

"You were so excited." Sarabi chuckled, "I doubt you barely got any sleep that night. Early the next morning you came running full speed in the den and woke your father up. He then brought you up here and do you remember what he told you?"

"Of course." Simba found himself beginning to smile as he quoted the very words his father once told him, "Everything the light touches… is our kingdom." It was a good memory, one of Simba's favorites of his father. Looking back… it used to be a memory of shame, reminding him that his father was not with him and that it was his fault for it, which he knew now was totally not true. Now, however when he looked back he was grateful for everything his father taught him, for it was now the very lessons he would go to and find strength and wisdom from whenever he did not know what to think or do. These things were good to think back on and cherish, especially with the ones one loved; yet Simba was confused about something.

"Why are you telling me this?" he gently asked his mother.

"So that you would understand." She replied in a soft tone. She then lifted up her paw and began to stroke his cheek as she explained, "I want you to know that we are all so very proud of you, my son. I don't know what troubles plague your mind, but know this: you are more than ready to rule and protect these lands."

"But… I barely know anything about being king." Simba replied, feeling hot tears rise to the surface of his eyes, "How can I rule when I don't even know what to do?"

"Yet look at all you have accomplished with what you already know." Sarabi replied, now feeling tears come to her own eyes, "You avenged, your father, won back your kingdom, revived the Pride Lands, started a beautiful family, and today you managed to stand your ground against five of the most dangerous lions I've ever known." Simba looked back on what his mother said, and although those seemed to be great accomplishments, in his mind he still wasn't convinced. Sarabi could see by Simba's expression he still had doubts, so he left him with this word of encouragement, "My son… know that whatever the future may have in store for you, you can never disappoint your subjects. Your pride is proud of you, your mate and son are proud of you, I'm proud of you, and most importantly… I know that your father is the most proud of all that you have achieved so far."

Upon hearing this, Simba could not keep his emotions in check any longer. He rested his head on Sarabi's shoulder and began to quietly sob. Part of it was from the kind, encouraging words of his mother touching his heart, while at the same time, he was just feeling as though he needed to let all of his emotions out. Sarabi merely soothed her son as she let him silently cry on her shoulder. Honestly, with all that had happened today it wouldn't surprise her if Mufasa did the same thing if he was still alive.

"How did he do it?" Simba suddenly ask.

"What do you mean?" Sarabi replied.

"Dad…" Simba stated, "How did he keep it all together?"

"Whoever said he did?" Sarabi chuckled, "Remember what he told you that night under the stars?" Simba choked a sob as he smiled and remembered.

"He was only brave when he had to be." He said, seeing the wisdom in his mother's words. "But… still… How could he go on, even when things looked so… bleak…"

"He had you." Sarabi sighed, thinking back on her old mate, "Your father may have been busy, but knowing that he would be coming home to you and his pride made every hardship worth it." She then pushed Simba back so that she could look him in the eyes when she asked, "So tell me, Simba, do you have someone worth fighting for?" Simba let out a long sigh, now being able to get control of his emotions. Though he remembered all that Vita told him, he could now see that such words were truly petty and above all, untrue. As he wiped his eyes he answered, "You, my pride, Nala, my children, all of you keep me going."

"Then let this be a lesson to you, Simba." Sarabi instructed, "Troubling times may come, but if you focus only on the problems, you can never see the joys that the future will hold for you. Promise me, Simba… promise me that you will remember this for the rest of your life." Simba wasn't fully over what happened earlier, but at least now he could go on with peace in his heart and mind. Such feelings of distress and worry would pass away like dry grass in a fire, but the love and care he had for his family would never diminish; and that would be what kept him going for now on.

"I promise, Mom." he said as he embraced his mother in a warm hug. Sarabi merely chuckled as she returned the embrace. It gave her peace to know that her son was so open to her. She may have missed much of his early life but he was still her Simba, and she would do anything to help him in this stage of his life. Feeling as though they had enough, Sarabi pulled away and looked at her son. He was smiling, and that was all that mattered.

"Are you ready to face the others now?" she asked, "We can stay up here a little longer if you like."

"No, It's ok." Simba replied as he stood up, "They have to know sometime tonight. I'd hate to make them think their king was having an emotional breakdown." Sarabi chuckled at this as she and Simba began to make their way back down to the den. Though as they walked, Simba had something else on his mind that he wanted to ask her. "Hey, Mom."

"Hmm?"

"I was also wondering... what Guard was Vita talking about?"

'

* * *

'

"Mom..." Kopa groaned as he laid in-between Nala's paws, "I'm clean!"

"Oh?" Nala raised an eyebrow as she stopped licking Kopa's head for a moment, "I thought you liked baths."

"I don't _mind_ them." Kopa explained, "But sitting here, and getting licked all evening gets pretty old." Nala was about to reply... but she knew her son was most likely right. When she was a cub, she would always have her mother give her a bath whenever she was tense so that she would calm down and relax. Now that she was an adult, she found that cleaning her sons calmed her down and made her think of other things. Speaking of her other son...

"Kicheko." Nala called out, seeing the hyena pup sitting in the far corner of the den. He had been there ever since the pride came in for the night. "Are you ok, sweetie?"

"Y-Yeah, Mom." the hyena stuttered, "I'm... fine." Both Nala and Kopa looked at the pup with concern. This wasn't normal for Kicheko to act all depressed and sad. Something was defiantly bothering the young hyena, but he wouldn't tell them what. Nala was about to go over and talk to him to see what was wrong, that is until she heard Sarabi's voice from outside of the den.

"That, my son, is something that I will show you another time. For now, you need to rest."

Nala stood to her feet as well as the other lionesses when they saw their king enter the den. They were hesitant to ask if he was alright since earlier on he seemed quite frantic; but now looking at him, he stood tall, his features were clam and he was looking at them all in a confused manner.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked in a genuanly concerned voice, looking at all the concerned faces, "You all look like you've seen a ghost."

"Dad!" Kopa got up and bounded over towards Simba. He hugged the Lion King's leg with his paws, to which Simba gingerly rubbed his son's head.

"Hey there, kiddo." he chuckled.

"You ok, Dad?" Kopa asked, "You ran off earlier and I was very worried that you weren't alright."

"Don't worry." Simba replied casually, "Your old man just needed a chance to catch his breath. But what about you?"

"Huh?" Kopa tilted his head, confused by his father's words.

"You were very brave charging in like that earlier." Simba explained, "You ok?"

"Yeah... but..." Kopa trailed off, not knowing how his dad would react if he knew the truth. He began to shift his paws on the floor, trying to tell Simba how he really felt. "I... I wasn't really brave. I was scared."

"Were you now?" Simba raised an eyebrow as Kopa nodded his head solemnly, looking at the ground in dismay. Simba chuckled. He couldn't help but smile at his cub's innocence. He then bent down low and whispered, "Do you want to know a secret, son?"

"What?" Kopa asked in a whisper as well.

"I was scared to." Kopa's eyes widened as he looked up at his father. His dad, the mighty Lion King, was afraid? How was that even possible?

"Y-You were scared?" Kopa questioned, unable to believe that it was true. Simba nodded his head in response, but Kopa still wasn't convinced. "But your a king! Kings don't get scared of anything! Kings are supposed to be brave!"

"We are." Simba responded, "Yet we are only brave when we have to be. So that we can protect the people we love. You did that today, Kopa. You ran out to help me even though you were scared. So that was a very 'king like' thing that you did today." suddenly, Simba heard a throat clear behind him. He looked to see Nala giving him a stern glare. Simba knew how Nala was and he could pick up on what she was trying to tell him.

"However..." he explained to Kopa, "Leave it to me to deal with all the dangerous stuff in the future. Ok, kiddo?"

"Ok, Dad." Kopa chuckled as Simba rubbed to top of his head with his paw again. Little did Simba know, his pep talk to his son gained the attention of the entire pride who were now looking at him to see what he would do next. Upon seeing this, Simba felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of everyone staring at him. He looked over at Sarabi who merely gestured with her head to say, "Go on. You got this."

"I'm sorry if my behavior from earlier concerned you all." Simba explained, "But know this. I will not let anything happen you to while I am king. These lands, my subjects, your very lives; I will do everything in my power to insure peace in these lands." Simba watched as a few of the lionesses began to smile while others talked amongst each other about their king.

"He really is brave."

"I don't think I ever saw someone take on Zira like that."

"I'm glad everything is alright."

"He reminds me so much of Mufasa."

Simba smiled as he saw the positive feedback from his pride. It warmed his heart to see that everyone trusted him.

"Ok, now let's get some sleep." He said, causing everyone to start get settled in for the night. He was about to go lie down when he felt something come up beside him and lick him on the cheek. Simba smiled as he looked back to see Nala giving him the exact same cheerful expression.

"You did great today, dear." Nala said as she and Simba went to lay down at their corner of the den.

"Well," Simba shrugged, "What can I say? I was born for the job."

"Uh-huh." Nala said with sarcasim, "Keep telling yourself that." she then walked ahead of him and began getting comfortable next to Kopa.

"Now wait a minute." Simba responded when he heard this, "What is that suppose to mean? Nala?" Nala and Kopa laughed as they got settled together and made room for Simba to come lay down. But before the Lion King did, he noticed that someone was missing.

"Kicheko?" Simba asked, noticing the hyena in the corner. He walked over to him and asked, "Kicheko what's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Kicheko said as he slowly walked towards Simba.

"K..." Simba said, using his nickname, "We both know that's not true. Now tell me: what is bothering you?" Kicheko stifled a sob. He didn't want to tell his dad what it was. He wouldn't forgive him for it, but... there was the small chance that he would. He wouldn't know unless he tried... right?

"Bro?" Kicheko looked up to see that Kopa had now walked in and joined him and Simba, "You can tell Dad what's wrong. He won't get mad."

"I can't..." Kicheko shook his head, a few tears slipping past his eyes and traveling down his snout.

"K... it's ok to be afraid." Kopa explained, thinking he knew what was wrong with Kicheko, "I was to, but Dad got scared to when he was fighting those lions."

"R-Really?" Kicheko asked as he wiped away the tears.

"Yeah." Kopa nodded. "He said that I was very brave, but you were too. Wasn't he, Dad?"

"You both were very brave today," Simba said, looking down at both his sons, "and I'm so proud of you both. No matter what, know that I'll always be proud of you." Kicheko smiled as he wiped away the tears from his eyes and he looked up at Simba with a wide smile.

"Thanks, Dad." he said, "I needed that."

"Now come on," Simba said, motioning to where Nala laid, "It's time to get some sleep."

'

* * *

'

The royal family was now nestled together, fast asleep as the light from the stars left a light glow at the entrance of the den. All the lionesses slept soundly, huddled together for warmth. Simba and Nala slept side by side, with Kopa between Nala's paws and Kicheko between Simba's. Yet despite it being the middle of the night, Kicheko was still wide awake. He just couldn't go to sleep for he was still very upset.

Earlier, when Kopa told him it was ok if he was afraid, he went along with it. True, he was scared to face the lions, but he heard Simba's encouraging words from earlier and knew that it was all alright. But that was not the true reason for why he felt so depressed. No... he lied to Simba about being alright, for ever since the incident, he heard what the lion said and it rang over and over inside the cubs head. Though he covered his ears with his paws and tried his hardest to block it out, he would still hear the words ringing in his ears.

 _"Let me give you some life lessons, kid: adopting some stray mutt doesn't make him apart of this pride. A hyena who's trying to fit in with a bunch of lions? That's like a hippo trying to adopt a giraffe. He doesn't belong here, and he never will and there is nothing you can do to change that!"_

 **End of Chapter 9**

* * *

 ***Whistle* Way to pull through, Simba!**

 **Poor Kicheko. I hope he get's help soon** **. I really like that little hyena.**

 **Sarabi is such a great mother. Even though her son is king he still needs her help. Also, I wonder where she sent Zazu.**

 **Now time for the announcement!**

 **Since my computer is having issues and my content for the chapters has been corrupted, I don't want to have to keep posting late like this every time I have a problem. That's just not fair for you readers. So, to fix this. I'm going on a 2 week hiatus to get the computer and files restored.**

 **DON'T FREAK OUT!**

 **During this time, I want to make some changes, starting with the posting date. Some of you guys want me to move to a different day during the week, which I am totally ok with doing. I just got to know which day you guys prefer. So during my 2 week hiatus time; you guys send me PM's on which days you will want me to upload my content. By the end of the 2 weeks, the days with the most PM's will be the new uploading day.**

 **Further more-**

'

 **Kicheko:**

Booooooooooriiiiiiiiing!

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

What the-?!

 **'**

 **Kicheko:**

Dude, seriously. No one wants to hear your lame excuses for not giving them quality Lion King stories.

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

How did you-?! But... What is going on?!

'

 **Kicheko:**

That's right! You can't cage this little hyena! I'm going Lion King 1/2 mode on ya! That fourth wall is coming down!

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

No! No! No! I'm not having this! This is the Review and Response section! Get back in the story and play your part!

'

 **Kicheko:**

Yeah... about that... I'm not a fan of you making me an emotional wreck in this chapter.

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

That's how the story goes! Plus in the description I literally says: Hurt/Comfort. Things will get better. I promise!

'

 **Kicheko:**

Well... I don't like it. Change it.

'

 **Lion Rogue:**

Change it? No way! Look, I like you Kicheko, but if I do change that scene then I'll have to redo my entire story!

'

 **Kicheko:**

Don't care. Change it.

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

No.

'

 **Kicheko:**

Change it.

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

Not happening, K.

'

 **Kicheko:**

Alright then. I didn't want to do this but you leave me no choice.

(Starts pulling out the wires from the wall.)

'

 **Rogue Lion:**

Wait! What are you-?!

(Get's disconnected from Fanfic Site)

'

 **Kicheko:**

Finally... I thought he'd never put a sock in it.

(Looks at reader)

So like RL said: he is going to be on Hiatus for the next 2 weeks, but fear not! Your lovable hyena pup is here to help! During this time, _I'LL_ be the one answering for all his PM messages and answering any and all questions you readers have. Whether it's your thoughts on the story, Ideas you have on future uploads, even RL's personal love life; I got an answer for all of that. Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

#HyenaPower.

* * *

 **Review Response**

 **Money100: **

**T** **hank you for understanding. And yeah, I'm glad Kopa jumped in and helped his father out. Shows a lot of character in the young cub.**

 **yingyangmaster: **

**Oh, Tizamo is going to have a major role to play. For without him, a certain Lion King character wouldn't have even be in the franchise without him.**

 **Tg1210:**

 **Yep, I like giving twists and turns in my chapter. If you have any suggestions for some then let me know.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone, the two weeks is up!**

 **I'm back and my laptop is fixed!**

 **The only thing I have to complain about is that Disney made some complications with my story, so I've had to rewrite a few things and... well... Just read the chapter and You'll see what I mean.**

 **Also** **before we get into the story, I just want to send a shou-**

 **'**

 _ **(Hyena walks into the room.)**_

 **'**

 **Kicheko**

Ah man. No one sent any PM's while you were gone. I barely got to talk to anyone.

:(

 _ **'**_

 **Rogue Lion**

 _Thank goodness for that. From now on, I'm not having anymore Lion King characters answer my PM's unless requested. Now please let me get back to the intro._

 _ **'**_

 **Kicheko**

 _Ah... you're no fun._

 ** _(leaves the room.)_**

 ** _'_**

 **So sorry about that. Anyone who received a PM from him while I was away, I sincerely apologies for his behavior.**

 **Anyway, back to introductions.**

 **Shoutout toTwisterLea, Money100, yingyangmaster, ArizonaSivy, Kivuline, and to the guests who reviewed while I was out fixing my computer. Your support means a lot.**

 **Now, on with the next chapter!**

 **'**

 **'**

 **'**

 **Ch. 10 Interrupted**

'

'

'

* * *

 _ **(Back to the Present)**_

"Wow…" Kiara said in a hushed tone, taking in all that she had just heard about her brother so far, "So Kicheko was feeling depressed because he felt like he didn't belong with you? That's so sad."

"It was sad." Simba nodded solemnly, "but he didn't stay that way forever. Kopa saw that his brother was not himself. Once that happened, he was determined to do whatever it took to make him feel better. He certainly helped him more than I did at the time."

Despite the teary beginning, after listening to Rafiki's story for some time, everyone's mood started to improve. Simba and Nala found it comforting to think back to their first born son's cub-hood. Kiara thought it was both interesting and exciting as she relaxed on the tree floor and closely listened to this mysterious story of her older brother. Anyone who could stand up to Zira, and at such a young age, was definitely a friend in her book. The only ones who were not enjoying the tale were Kovu and Marifa. Though they listened to the story intently, many unanswered questions ran through their heads about Kopa. Marifa was both eager and fearful as he listened; for reasons that he was not yet ready to share. As for Kovu, his discomfort caught the attention of Nala and she wondered what was going on inside the young lion's head.

"Kovu?" Kovu quickly picked his head up when he heard Nala's voice, "Is something wrong?"

"Uh, no… I'm fine." he stuttered, trying to avoid any eye contact with the queen; but Nala could see that something troubled him.

"Are you sure?" she asked in a soft tone, "It just seems like something is bothering you. What is it?" Kovu gave a long sigh before finally answering.

"It's just…" he began, not really knowing where to begin, "Back when I lived in the Out Lands, Mother always told us about how you brought Simba back to the Pride Lands and dethroned Scar. She told me that afterwards you both kicked her and her followers out of the kingdom… but… she never mentioned anything about Scar still being alive, let alone attacking Simba or his son when she first returned." Everyone turned their attention to Kovu as he gave out a depressed sigh as he asked, "Why? Why would she lie about something like that, and to her own children? It just doesn't make sense to me." Simba looked sympathetically at Kovu. He knew his life in the Out Lands wasn't an easy one, especially with Zira's brutal training and deception. Still, Simba had no idea how Kovu looked at the Pride Lands back then. He did not know what Zira told him concerning her past with the pride, and whether or not all of it was true. To hear that she never told him about the guard or about Kopa made the king feel sympathetic for the young lion. Yet he knew it was probably for Zira's own benefit that she never revealed such tales.

"Those were strange times, Kovu." Simba said as he came up beside him and tried to comfort the young lion. "Many things that happened back then were good, yet there were also some things that most people wished to forget and leave buried in the past… even Zira." Kovu was shocked by what Simba said.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "What do you mean?" Simba was about to answer him when suddenly, everyone heard a voice calling from outside of the tree.

"Marifa? Rafiki? I'm back!" everyone looked around, not knowing where the voice was coming from, all except for Marifa.

"Oh no!" the young mandrill exclaimed in terror, "She's back! She's back!" Instantly, he started running around the room and began grabbing the many different pots and potions that Rafiki had stored on the branches and wooden shelves of the tree.

"Marifa?" Kiara asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

"Can't talk!" Marifa exclaimed, "Must… hide… everything… breakable!" As Marifa continued grabbing nearly every single bottle, cup, and paint jar in the room, Rafiki merely laughed and shook his head in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Kiara asked, noticing Rafiki chuckling.

"De timing." Was Rafiki's reply, "She always had a knack for timing." Suddenly, a loud high pitched screech flooded the room as another young mandrill came rushing in from the top of one of the branches and leaped down to the tree floor. Unfortunately, Marifa was in her way. The young apprentice let out a scream of terror as the other mandrill came slamming into him, causing all of the paints and potions to spill onto the cave floor. Everyone winced and gritted their teeth at the sound of bowls crashing and glass breaking. When everyone looked again, they saw a colorful pile of shells, broken bowls, and spilled herbs; and at the bottom of it all laid a very distraught Marifa.

"Why?" he grumbled as he rested his head on his hands, "Every time… This happens every time she comes back!"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Marifa." A new voice said, "If you hadn't been in my way when I came in then I wouldn't have ran into you. Seriously, you should be more careful." Suddenly, the newcomer stood up from out of the pile and brushed herself off. She was a young mandrill, appearing to be in her teens, and had a brown coat of fur around her neck, unlike Marifa who had black fur; and she had her arms full with a variety of different fruit.

"Hello Rafiki." She greeted, "I got everything you-"

"Makini?" Kiara asked, a wide grin growing on her face as she recognized the newcomer, "Is it really you?"

"Kiara?" the mandrill known as Makini asked, dropping all the fruit in her arms and running full speed towards her best friend; embracing her in a hug. "OMG! Kiara, you're here! It's been so long!"

"I know, right?" Kiara laughed as she returned the embrace. Makini was one of her good friends growing up. She was also Rafiki's first apprentice. She had been handpicked personally my Rafiki, when she was born, to study under him long before Marifa was around. In her early years she had her… short comings, but as time went by she had grown into a fine young mandrill, and a worthy successor to the old shaman. Despite tradition, stating that there could only be one apprentice, Rafiki decided to test and see what would happen if he took on two. So far the results have been quiet… _entertaining_ , to say the least.

"Simba! Nala! It's great to see you all again!" Makini then went around, greeting the other members of the royal family.

"You as well, Makini." Simba replied, "I was wondering where you were."

"Oh, Rafiki sent me out to get some supplies a couple of days ago, but I'm glad you are all here! It's been so long since I've seen you guys!" That was when she noticed the other new face in the room. "And you… weird-lion-I-don't-know. It's great to see you too!"

"Um…" Kovu didn't know how to react to having a monkey he didn't know suddenly embrace him in a hug, "You too?"

"Ah yes!" Rafiki laughed, seeing how Makini was making Kovu uncomfortable, "Kovu, dis is my other apprentice, Makini."

"A pleasure to meet you, Kovu." Makini backed up and bowed, "It's a real honor. I've heard so much about you. I still can't believe that you and Kiara stopped the war between your prides. It's like something out of a fairytale!"

"Wait…" Kovu realized something, "She's your apprentice too?" Rafiki nodded in response. "How many apprentices do you have?"

"It's just me and her!" Marifa exclaimed as he picked up and held onto all of the remaining bowls and cups that weren't broken, "I don't even know why Uncle took her in first before me. She's an absolute menace!"

"Oh come on, Marifa." Makini rolled her eyes and slowly approached the younger mandrill, to which Marifa slowly backed away while hanging on tightly to the remaining bowls and cups. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"A million." Marifa stated, "And even then, I wouldn't trust you around a single one of Uncle Rafiki's bottles. Look at the mess you made!" He gestured to the pile of broken bowls and colorful contents spilled all over the tree floor, but his attitude didn't seem to affect Makini.

"Well if you hadn't have been carrying everything then I wouldn't have spilled them when I ran into you." Makini reasoned as she placed her hands on her hips, "So in a way… this is your mess to."

"What?!" at this point, Marifa wanted to tear the hair out of his head. This woman drove him insane! Every time he got the tree all cleaned up, she would come in and make a mess of everything. This was not his fault! It was hers! Hers! Hers! Hers!

Seeing that his younger student was about to have a mental break down, Rafiki decided to step in.

"Makini." He called his elder apprentice, "Might I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, Rafiki. I'm coming." Makini then gathered up the fruit that she originally brought in and approached her mentor with a proud smile on her face. "See. I got everything you sent me to go find."

"Hmmm…" Rafiki stoked his chin and looked over everything Makini had brought to him. After a quick glance he stated, "Yes… You have indeed got everything I asked for."

"Yay!" Makini exclaimed with glee.

"However…" Rafiki interrupted her little celebration, "Can you tell me why I sent you out to gather des dings in de first place?"

"Um…" Makini thought about it for a second, "Oh, right! I spilled the last batch of paints you had laid out so you sent me to get some more."

"That is right." Rafiki said, all the while keeping a smile. "Now dat you have returned with what I asked for, I need you to make another run for more supplies."

"What?!" Makini exclaimed in shock, dropping all the fruit she had in her hands, "But I just got back with everything you asked for! Why would I need to make another run?" Rafiki gestured with his staff over to the pile of spilled herbs and materials caused by Makini's abrupt entrance. Makini then looked back realized what Rafiki was telling her. Despite having returned with the supplies, she now had to get a new batch to make up for the paints and herbs she just destroyed.

"Oh…" Makini let out a nervous laugh, understanding what Rafiki meant, "Sorry about that."

"Oh sure!" Marifa groaned, his posture and attitude tense from the frustration he felt, "When Rafiki says you did something wrong you apologies, but when I say you did something wrong you come back and tell me it's my fault!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Makini realized she forgot something, "Marifa, you should apologies to Rafiki for helping me spill everything."

"Are you kidding me?!" Marifa exclaimed, as his face turned a new shade of red. Was this girl serious? Really?

"You know," Makini said as she walked up to the younger apprentice and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "You should really do something about that posture of yours, Marifa. Being slumped over like that can't be good for your back. Also, do you need help personalizing your staff? I mean, feathers? Really? Some birds might take offence to seeing you walking around with these. I know some good fruits that would look perfect on you staff. I mean, it won't be anywhere as good as mine, but-"

On the sidelines, Rafiki and the others watched as Makini talked Marifa's ears off. They were enjoying the little show that was going on before them. Kovu barely knew this mandrill, but already he liked her. She had a certain spunk in her step that kind of reminded him of Kiara.

"So…" he leaned over and whispered into Rafiki's ear, "You really have two apprentices?"

"Yes, indeed." Rafiki replied.

"I didn't realize that was a thing."

"Eh," Rafiki shrugged, "It's not de traditional way, but I wanted to see how dis would turn out. Makini is full of life and spontaneous, while Marifa is more of a staunch and by the book person. Having them together, under my wing, I wanted to see how dis would play out. So far, it's been quiet fun to watch." The old shaman chuckled at that last part, "But also I know dat de life of a shaman can be a lonely one. I don't mind it, but I know with Makini's personality it would be a bit… difficult to adjust. So, when Marifa came around, I knew dat he was de solution. And who knows, I dink I could see them getting together some day, eh? Eh?" Kovu tried not to laugh as Rafiki nudged him. Those two were as opposite as water and fire. He personally didn't think that anything between the two apprentices would work out, but he decided to remain silent and humor the old shaman.

"You sure it's ok to let Makini keep talking?" Kovu asked, noticing Marifa's face turning as red as a tomato and... was that steam coming out of his ear? "I think Marifa might need some help."

"Oh don't worry." Rafiki replied, "I'm sure Marifa can-"

"Gaargh!" Marifa suddenly threw his hand up in the air, finally having enough of Makini's pestering. It was one thing to have her telling him why the mess was his fault, but he drew the line when it came to talking about his staff! No one talked bad about his staff! "I've had it!" He then stomped over to Rafiki and demanded, "Uncle… can you please get her out of here so that we can get back to the story?"

"A story?" Makini's face lit up when she heard that. She loved Rafiki's stories. She ran over to Rafiki and shoved Marifa out of the way, causing him to fall on the floor once again. "Oh! Oh! I want to hear it." She exclaimed as she began to bounce up and down in excitement, "Is it the one about the First King? The one about the Great Drought? Ooh! Is it a story of Kion and the Lion Guard? I love those stories, especially the ones with me in them! What about-" Makini suddenly found one of Rafiki's long slender fingers being pressed up against her muzzle, silencing her. The old shaman was still smiling, but now his eye were narrowed at his eldest apprentice. In all of his life, he had never met someone who could test his patients like she could.

"If you would be quiet for about 10 seconds," Rafiki explained, "Then maybe I'll let you sit and listen. But know dat dis is unlike any story you have ever heard before."

"Really?" Makini asked as she sat down and crossed her legs on the tree floor, "Why is that?" Rafiki then explained to his apprentice that while she was gone, the royal family had uncovered the forgotten section of the History Wall that contained the story of Simba and Nala's secret first born son, Kopa. Since then, they had been going through the history of Simba's early years as king to show Kiara and Kovu what truly happened all those years ago.

"Wow." Makini smiled as she looked up at Kopa's painting on the tree, "That is so cool! You're one lucky girl, Kiara. Two brothers? Who would have guessed?"

"Heh… yeah." Kiara sighed, "I just… wish I got to know him though."

"Honey," Simba noticed his daughter's mood drop as she spoke, "That's why we're here, so that you can learn more about him."

"Yeah… I know." Kiara replied, though she was still a bit down, "But… still…" Truly, Kiara enjoyed everything she heard about Kopa so far, but now part of her wished she could have met him. It may have been selfish of her to want a bit more than just a story about her brother, but part of her truly wished she remembered him.

"Great!" Marifa groaned, "Now look what you've done, Makini."

"What did I do now?" Makini replied with an exasperated sigh.

"This story about Simba and Kopa is a very sensitive subject to Kiara and you are completely disregarding her feelings."

"Marifa…" Kiara spoke up, seeing what the young apprentice was thinking, "It's ok. I don't mind if Makini-"

"Well excuse me." Makini got up and approached the already agitated mandrill and got in his face, "But I for one think it's cool she has a secret brother."

"Well maybe she doesn't. She never got to truly know him. None of us did, and now you come in here and just made things worse."

"Marifa." Kiara tried to let him know it was ok, and that she didn't mind what Makini said. After all, Makini was a good friend of hers and she knew the young mandrill meant well. Yet her voice was drowned out by the two apprentices arguing back and forth between each other.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yah-huh."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yah-huh!"

"Dat's enough!" suddenly, a large smack echoed through the caved, followed by both Marifa and Makini clutching their heads in pain. Both looked up to see Rafiki tapping the end of his staff in his hand, all the while looking at both of them with a stern glare. This time he was longer smiling.

"I taught you better than this. Both of you are acting like children!" Rafiki waved his finger at them, "If dis is how you act then you will both be treated like children." He then tossed each apprentice a small hand crafted broom and directed them to the mess Makini made earlier. "Now clean up dis mess. Both of you!"

"But Rafiki-"

"Silently…" Rafiki warned them both before they could say another word, "And if you can't handle dat, then I'll send you both out to collect more supplies and neither one of you will hear about de Rise of Simba. Do I make myself clear?" Knowing that there was no point in arguing, both apprentices sighed and in unison replied, "Yes, Rafiki."

"Good." Rafiki nodded firmly, "Now get to work! De sooner you finish, de sooner you can sit and listen." Not wanting to get Rafiki anymore angry than he already was, Marifa and Makini both begrudgingly began cleaning up the mess on the floor, all the while giving each other mean looks of disapproval. Rafiki then sighed and turned back to Simba and his family. They looked at the old shaman with concerned expressions, but he didn't take notice of it.

"I'm so sorry about dem." He apologized, "I don't know what has gotten into those two. Dey are not usually like this."

"You mean they don't usually act like this to each other?" Nala questioned.

"No. Not usually." Rafiki sighed, "Still… I understand dat dey both have their own opinions on dis matter." He then looked back at them and watched as they continued to sweep the floor. He loved them both so much. They were like the son and daughter he never had, but still, their opposite personalities did make things... difficult at times. "Marifa is very cautious and is very careful with de words he chooses. Makini will speak her mind and though what she says may not always be de best of words, it is always to help her friends."

"I see…" Kiara listened and understood what Rafiki meant as she herself gazed at the cleaning apprentices, "Marifa was trying to respect my thoughts on the matter with Kopa even though he didn't truly understand how I felt about him. Meanwhile, Makini said what was on her mind in a way that she was trying to cheer me up and make it seem like having a long lost brother was a good thing."

"Very insightful." Rafiki praised Kiara's perceptiveness, "Much like your father and brother, you can see people's true intent even though others could not. Which, by the way, brings us to de next part of our story." Sitting back down, Rafiki then began to tell the story once again. "Now, where were we?" Rafiki questioned as he stroked his long goatee. "Ah yes, I remember. Not long after de incident with Scar's Guard, Sarabi came to de decision that Simba would need a bit of help in learning about his duties as king. Though she could teach Simba all that she knew from her experience of being queen, she knew that he would need more help. So she asked Zazu to fetch and old friend of Simba's to teach him the proper aspects of being a king."

As everyone settled down and listened as Rafiki continued the story, Makini stopped sweeping for a moment to try and listen to what Rafiki had to say. Though Rafiki only explained to her bits and pieces of what the story was about, it still intrigued her. A forgotten prince, an evil Lion Guard, Scar's survival; it was all so exciting. She just had to hear what happened next.

"Hey." Marifa whispered sternly to her when he noticed she wasn't helping him clean.

"Shh!" Makini hushed, "I'm trying to listen!" Marifa groaned as he went back to sweeping. If Rafiki was ever to look up from his story then at least _he_ wouldn't get in trouble when his uncle saw Makini wasn't working. Still, he tried to sweep as silently as possible, trying hard to listen as well to what Rafiki had to say. He too was curious as to what would happen next.

"Meanwhile," Rafiki continued his story, "Kopa and his half-brother Kicheko started to reach out to different animals from all over de Pride Lands. He made friends with all sorts of creatures: zebras, cheetahs, elephants, hippos…"

"Kind of like Kion's Lion Guard!" Kiara added.

"Yes, very much so!" Rafiki chuckled at the princess' enthusiasm, "Kopa had many animal friends but unlike Kion's Lion Guard they were more… wild."

"What do you mean?" Kiara questioned.

"Well…"

 **END OF CHAPTER 10**

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 **So for those of you who don't know, Maknini is Rafiki's apprentice featured in the newest episode in the Lion Guard series: the Rise of Scar.**

 **(Totally copying my story title.)**

 **Seeing how I'm trying to make this Lion King story as believable as possible, I was left with 2 options: replace Marifa with Makini, or have them together. As you can see, I chose the second option.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed, and if you did then please leave a review and follow this story and let me know what your favorite part has been so far.**

 **Also, sorry about the cliff hanger.**

 **(I got to keep you all wanting to see what happens next right?)**

 **:P**

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 **Review Response:**

 **Kivuline**

 **Thanks for reviewing as you go along. Every little bit helps and encourages me to write more.**

 **ArizonaSivy**

 **Thanks for the tips. I'll take that into consideration as I write this story as well as future stories.**

 **yingyangmaster**

 **Yeah, Simba needed some time with his mother. Being king can really be stressful at times. Also, yeah I feel for Kicheko, (but not as much since he did a lousy job with his PM responses.) lol.**

 **Money100.**

 **I was having problems with the sight last chapter. Hopefully that won't happen again.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Here is another chapter!**

 **Hope you all are doing good! School starts next week and for me that means more time writing reports rather than story writing.**

 **But don't worry, I'll post weekly and as often as possible.**

 **I hate stories that go on long term hiatus and I don't plan on this being one of those stories any time soon.**

 **Also, shoutout to Daneil1177, Harak, and Disney Critic Gal for following my story. Your support means a lot.**

 **Now, on with the next chapter!**

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 **Ch. 11 Cheetahs Never Prosper**

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 **(Back to the Story)**

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"Come on, guys. Let's go!" Kopa called out as he ran ahead of the group.

"Kopa, slow down." Simba called out to his son, "The cheetahs aren't going anywhere." but the young cub continued to leap through to tall grass, chanting: "We're gonna see the cheetahs! We're gonna see the cheetahs!"

It was a beautiful day in the Pride Lands as Simba, Nala, Sarabi, Kopa, Kicheko were making their way to meet with a group of cheetahs who wanted to return to the Pride Lands. Before Zazu left for his _special errand_ for the royal family, he gave Sarabi a list of duties and meetings that had to be met while he was away. The first thing was meeting with the cheetahs to discuss their return to the Pride Lands.

Now, the cheetahs were a species who were known for their reclusive and loner ways, however, on occasions that affected the species as a whole, they would come together and choose one of their own to represent them in diplomatic matters. Today, Simba was going to go meet with the cheetah who would be representing the species. As Simba prepared to leave, Sarabi and Nala suggested that they bring Kicheko and Kopa along so that they could learn how a king worked with his subjects while at the same time learning about the other animals of whom they ruled over. Kopa of course was thrilled to come along, Kicheko, however, was a little less than enthusiastic to join them.

Ever since the incident with Zira and the others, the once cheerful, happy pup was now a melancholy downer. He would be distant towards the others of the pride and even his own family, and would spend most of his time alone in the back corner of the cave. This worried Simba and Nala for they had grown fond of the little pup and loved him as if he was their own son. They tried asking him what was wrong but he would shut them out or not want to talk with them.

Finally, Sarabi decided to step in and offer her own opinion on the matter. She suggested that they observe his actions and see what was truly bothering him, and once they had a good idea on what was the root of the trouble then they would talk to him about it and then maybe he would be open with them. But for now, Simba's main concern was making sure he made a good impression of the cheetah's representative.

"Does he even know where we are going?" Kicheko asked as he looked up at Simba.

"Oh course, K." Kopa replied hearing the conversation going on behind him, "We're going to Flat-ridge Rock."

"And where might Flat-ridge Rock be?" Nala asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um…" Kopa stopped jumping as he took a moment to think about what his mother asked him. Finally he answered, "Not sure, but that's where I'm headed." This earned a laugh from Simba and the others, knowing full well that Kopa was actually headed in the wrong direction.

"Maybe you should stick with us, son." Simba suggested, "We'll get there soon, I promise." Hearing this, Kopa bounded on over to his family and walked alongside his mother and grandmother. He enjoyed being together with everyone. It wasn't often they all got to go out on a little adventure.

"So, Mother." Simba said, causing Sarabi to raise her head, "What can you tell me about who we are meeting?"

"The representative?" Sarabi replied, "She will not be like the others you have spoken with so far. She is headstrong, brash, and above all else, very skeptical about coming back to the Pride Lands."

"That's… odd." Simba said, "I thought the cheetahs wanted to return to the Pride Lands."

"And they do, but they want to get the best deal that they can upon their return. The one who they chose to represent them is named Streak. She is very popular among her fellow cheetahs as being one of the quickest in all the land. Her father also acted as representative for the cheetahs in the past during Mufasa's reign, so it was only natural that his daughter would also keep relations with the Pride Lands."

"Why is it that she skeptical about returning?" Simba asked. Sarabi sighed, knowing fully well that this would not be and easy negotiation and this was the sole reason why.

"Back when Scar took over… the moment food began to become scarce, Streak's father, Beba approached Scar and demanded something to be done."

"I remember that day well." Nala added, "He stood tall and talked with such authority, such prowess. To put it lightly, Beba demanded that Scar got off of his tail and started acting like a king." Nala then stared at the ground as she recalled what happened next, "Scar… didn't take to kindly to his choice of words. He made the hyenas chase him off of Pride Rock. After that, it wasn't long before word spread throughout the Pride Lands of Scar's actions and the cheetahs left."

"That's terrible." Kopa said as he listened to the conversation his parents were having.

"Very terrible." Sarabi sighed, "Streak was just becoming a teen during that time and between being driven away from her home and witnessing her father's humiliation, she has every right to be concerned about returning to these lands once again." Simba knew his uncle had done some terrible things during his rule, but this was a new one to him. He completely understood where the cheetah was coming from in terms of losing a home to a tyrant, but still, one thing didn't make sense to him.

"If she doesn't want to return, then why did the cheetahs appoint her to represent them?"

"Like I said before," Sarabi explained, "the cheetahs want to get as much as they can out of this deal. They are expecting Streak to want compensation for how they were treated before their exile from the land."

"That seems reasonable." Simba said.

"You would think so." Sarabi groaned, "But their demands are outrageous! They want four times the land they originally had, an extended limit on how many animals they are allowed to hunt, and they want access to Pride Rock whenever they wish."

"What?!" Simba and Nala exclaimed in unison. Those demands were absurd! Four times the original hunting grounds would be more than a third of the entire Pride Lands. Besides that, an extended limit on animal kills and access to Pride Rock would throw the entire ecosystem out of balance and threaten the Circle of Life. Scar did the same thing with the hyenas and it practically destroyed the land.

"They can't be serious!" Nala said, appalled by the idea of once again sharing their home with another species. Cheetahs were defiantly better than hyenas, but they were still snobs and not to mention very temperamental if they didn't have their way, and Nala would not be sharing a den with another obnoxious predator any time soon. "Don't they know that kind of behavior destroyed the Pride Lands last time?"

"They simply don't care." Sarabi shook her head solemnly, "The males are a stubborn breed, and care more about their personal wellbeing rather than the concerns of others. That is why I am hopeful about this meeting with Streak."

While they were talking, Kopa decided he didn't want to walk anymore, so seeing a nearby bolder, he ran up to it and leaped off of the tip and landed on Simba's back. Simba staggered a bit, feeling the weight of his son suddenly on his back, but he regained his balance and continued walking. Kopa would do that often whenever he wanted to rest a bit and Simba didn't mind having to carry him. After all, he was probably tuckered out from all the running around he was doing earlier.

"Though Streak is known for being brash," Sarabi continued, "I find that she has a bit more common sense than her male counterparts. Whether or not she agrees with the terms they have set remains to be seen, but from what I know about the cheetahs, your only hope for a reasonable deal lies with her." Simba sighed when he heard this news. This would definitely be a long day.

"Well…" he began, "Any suggestions?" he asked looking between Nala and his mother.

"Just know this." Sarabi replied, "Whatever you do, whatever you decide, we will both be right here beside you." Sarabi nuzzled her son's head, trying to give him as much comfort as she could. Still, Sarabi knew in her heart that no matter what, Simba would do just fine.

"Look, Dad!" Kopa suddenly exclaimed, "Cheetahs!" Sure enough, right on top of the hill in front of them laid Flat-ridge Rock. On the rock laid a large cheetah with a bulky figure and aqua blue eyes. The spots on her left shoulder lined up to form what appeared to be a rough sketch of a lightning bolt. Simba figured that's where Streak got her name from. Around her stood three other male cheetahs, all looking at Simba and his family with glares of mistrust. Simba took a moment to take a deep breath before approaching the group, knowing that this would probably take a while.

"Welcome to the Pride Lands, cheetahs." Simba greeted as Kopa jumped off of his back and went to stand by Kicheko and his mother, "It is a pleasure to finally-"

"Cut the pleasantries, your _highness._ " Streak spoke up, catching Simba off guard.

"I-I'm sorry?" Simba said, making sure he heard her right. Streak got to her feet, jumped down from Flat-ridge Rock and slowly approached him, her eyes never leaving the king's.

"There is no reason to beat around the bush so I'll be clear with you." She growled, "I don't like lions. I don't like politics, and I especially don't like having my time wasted on trivial matters such as these. So either give into our demands or we're done here. Period." Streak's words left Simba dumbfounded for a few seconds. He barely knew her and already this cheetah had left quiet the impression on him. Sarabi was right, Streak was a very brash leader.

"Now…" Simba cleared his throat, composing himself once again, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves miss… Streak was it?"

"That's right!" the cheetah growled as she turned her back on Simba and walked back beside the males, "I'm Streak, fastest cheetah you'll ever find anywhere. I've taken up this position representative because when it comes to speaking with you lions, these cowards don't know how to handle themselves." In saying this, she glanced back at the three males to find that one of them had fallen asleep while she was talking. Seeing how their leader was now looking at them, one of the males nudged his companion, making him wake up and look around frantically, trying to figure out what was going on around him. Streak shook her head in dismay. Seeing her fellow cheetahs act like this in front of the king was disgraceful. "So… have you received our demands for rejoining the Pride Lands?"

"We have." Simba replied, standing tall and remembering all that his mother told him about the cheetahs and their ways, "And in return I must ask you this: what do you think will happen to the Pride Lands if we were to accept the terms of your return?"

"Things will go back to the way it should be." Streak stated matter-of-factly, "That's all we ever wanted was to have what is rightfully ours."

"Apparently," Simba said in a stern voice, "What you think is rightfully yours is different then what the others think. That's why I came here; so we can negotiate."

"Don't try to wiggle out of this, _King Simba._ " Streak seethed the name as if it were poison, "I've heard of your exploits, about how you claim to be the son of the late king, Mufasa. You may have the other animals fooled, but not me. I know what you truly are: a rogue, a stray picked up and trained to put on the mask of a great animal who we all wished was still alive and well; but I know the truth. If you can't even see the reason in our demands then you're just like Scar: a lazy, selfish coward who has no respect for others!" Simba's eyes narrowed at this cheetah. Who was she to doubt him? She had no idea what he had been through.

"That is a bold claim." Simba said in a stern voice. "And what proof do you have to back up such words?" He was on the edge of losing his temper with this cheetah. Between her attitude and the fact that she was making accusations she had no idea about, Simba was beginning to lose his patients with her.

"If you were truly Mufasa's son, then you would have returned sooner than you did." Streak seethed, looking Simba dead in the eye. "For years… years… my father led my people well, taking care of what we needed. We are a simple species and we don't ever ask for much, but the moment Scar took the throne everything changed." Simba silently observed Streak as she talked. He heard her voice slightly crack as if trying to cover up the pain she felt as she continued to make her case before him. "My father was humiliated and banished from these lands. We all followed him for we knew that any king who would treat their subjects in such a manner was no king worth following; and I wouldn't trust you, _Simba_ with my life or the lives of my people. That is… unless you prove yourself and accept our demands." Simba groaned internally. This cheetah already had her mind made up about him and wasn't going to give him a break unless her demands were met. This meant that this would take a bit longer than he thought.

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On the sidelines, Nala was about to storm in on this conversation. She was absolutely furious at this cheetah. How dare she question Simba and doubt him! After all that he had done for these lands she had the gall to compare him to Scar? She took a step forward but was stopped by Sarabi.

"Don't." Sarabi whispered to Nala, "If Simba is to truly rule then there will be times when you and I can't interfere, Nala."

"But she-"

"I don't like this any more than you do." Sarabi cut her off, "But Simba needs to learn how to do things on his own. He can't have us stepping in for him all the time. Plus, you wouldn't want to make a scene in front of the children, would you?" Upon hearing this, Nala's gaze went back to Kopa and Kicheko who were both looking at Simba and the cheetah with sour faces.

"Man…" Kicheko whispered to Kopa, "Cheetah's are jerks."

"I know, right?" Kopa replied, "Why is Dad even listening to them? They don't even like us." Nala heard this and decided to step in.

"Don't be too quick to judge, you two." She said, lowering her head down next to them. "Streak has had a rough life, and though I agree that she is… a little bit of a jerk, she and her species are still important members of the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life. We need to show her and her cheetah's respect." Kopa and Kicheko reluctantly obeyed their mother and kept quiet, going back to listening to the conversation between Simba and Streak.

The process wasn't as fun as the two brothers originally thought it would be. Listening to their father go back and forth with a temperamental cheetah wasn't really all that exciting. So, Kopa decided to look around and see if there was anything else that could keep himself entertained. As he looked out over the vast savannah, he saw something in the distance.

"Hey, K." he nudged his brother, "Look out there." Kicheko followed his brother's gaze and his eyes widened at what he saw. A small cloud of dust streamed through the vast open planes at an amazing speed.

"What is that?" the hyena pup asked, as he squinted his eyes, trying to see what was out there.

"Whatever it is," replied Kopa, "It sure is fast. Is it a dust storm?"

"No way. Dust storms are way bigger than that, and they only happen in the desert." Suddenly the small cloud of dust began to turn, causing their eyes to widen.

"Um… Kicheko?"

"Yep."

"Did that cloud just turn?"

"Yep."

"And it's now headed towards us?"

"Yep."

"We… should get out of the way, shouldn't we?"

"Definitely, yep!"

Instantly, Kopa and Kicheko dived to the side just in time as the cloud streak suddenly whisked past them. Nala and Sarabi were both caught off guard by the sudden cloud that suddenly engulfed them, causing them to cough. Picking up his head, Kopa realized where the cloud was headed and had barely enough time to shout, "Dad! Look out!"

"Huh?" Simba himself could barely react before a cloud of dust wizzed passed him and went right for Streak. Simba was astonished to see that whatever it was, it slammed head on into Streak and knocked her on her back. As the dust settled, everyone was surprised to see the cause of the small dust storm was a spunky little cheetah cub, who was now sitting squarely on Streak's chest.

"MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM!" the cub shouted, earning a surprised look from Streak and the other male cheetahs.

"B-Beba?!" Streak exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to see you, Mom!" the cheetah cub exclaimed gleefully as he got off his mother, "and I wanted to meet the lions!"

"I thought I told you to stay back at the den." Streak scolded.

"No…" Beba corrected his mother, "You told me I had to stay with, Dad while you were away." That's when Streak realized something.

"Where is your father?" As if on que, another male cheetah came jogging in, panting and sweating.

"S-Sorry… dear." The cheetah gasped for breath as he caught up to his son, "I… Didn't…"

"Argh!" Streak growled as she got up off the floor and stormed over to her mate and grabbed him by his ear with her paw, "Mwongo! I told you to watch our son while I was at work!"

"A-A-And I did, dear." Mwongo stuttered, partly from the pain he felt in his ear while the other part of him was terrified of his mate.

"Then tell me," Streak growled, "Why is Beba here and not back at the den where I told you to watch him?!"

"W-Well…" Mwongo tried to explain, "He was getting bored, you see? S-So I asked him what he wanted to do and he told me he wanted to race. It was supposed to be to a nearby tree and back, not all the way out- OW! OW! OW!" Streak put pressure on her mate's ear, causing to male to let out a screech of discomfort, all the while Simba just silently observed everything from the sidelines.

He never would have guessed that Streak would be the type to settle down and raise a family, yet that was exactly what she had done. He also took notice that her son, Beba, was named after her father. Now things were starting to make a bit more sense to the Lion King. At first he thought the cheetahs were being selfish for wanting so much land, but perhaps there was another reason to Streak's demands.

"Wow." Simba looked back to see Kopa walking up beside him, shaking his head to get all the dust off of him, "I knew cheetahs were fast, but not _that_ fast." Simba chuckled as he watched his son shake off the last bit of dust off of his small patch of red fur on his head.

"Yes, son." Simba explained, "Cheetahs are very fast."

"You bet we are!" Simba and Kopa were surprised to see the young cheetah cub bounding towards them. He was clearly Streak's son, but he lacked the birthmark of a lightning bolt on his shoulder. Simba was generally surprised by how happy this cub was as he approached them. Seeing as how he was Streak's offspring he figured the boy would share his mother's dislike for lions, but it seemed as though this was not the case.

"So, you guys are lions?" the young cheetah asked out of pure curiosity.

"Yes." Simba nodded, "I am King Simba of the Pride Lands, and this is my son, Kopa." Kopa mimicked his father and bowed his head in respect.

"Wow…" the cheetah cub said in aw, "The Lion King! I've heard a lot of stories about you, your majesty. I'm Beba."

"Nice to meet you, Beba." Kopa greeted, "I've never met a cheetah before."

"Really?" The young cub asked, "I've never met a lion before."

"Have you ever met a hyena before?" Beba looked back to see Kicheko suddenly walk up towards him. He wasn't startled when he saw the pup, but he did find it strange to see a canine hanging out with a bunch of lions.

"Yeah…" Beba responded cautiously "Are… you a hyena?"

"No…" Kicheko said sarcastically, "I'm a hippo. Can't you tell?" this earned a questioning look from the cheetah cub. Was this really what baby hippos looked like when they were young? Seeing how the cheetah cub wasn't catching on with his joke, Kicheko groaned, "Yes I'm a hyena."

"YIPE!" in an instant, Beba disappeared behind Simba, who was just as surprised as Kopa by the young cub's reaction.

"Don't let him eat me, you majesty!" Beba begged as he hid behind Simba. Kopa looked at the cub in confusion as he continued to hide behind his father's leg. Why was he so scared of Kicheko? His brother wouldn't hurt a fly… well… unless he was hungry for bugs, that is.

"It's alright, Beba." Simba said, causing the young cheetah to look out from behind him, "This is Kicheko, and he's a nice hyena. I promise he won't hurt you."

"Really?" Beba asked as he looked back at the pup, who had his ears pinned back and was whimpering. "But… Mom always said to never trust a hyena."

"In most cases… that is good advice." Simba said cautiously, trying to choose his words carefully while in his adopted son's presence, "But Kicheko isn't like other hyenas. He's nice and he respects others."

"It's true." Kopa chimed in as he walked up to his distraught brother and wrapped his paw around him for a side hug. "Kicheko here is the kindest, most gentlest hyena I know."

"I'm the only hyena you know…" Kicheko groaned under his breath. Little did he know, Kopa heard him and now looked at his brother with concern. Why was he so depressed lately? This wasn't like him. Kopa was about to respond, but Beba cut him off.

"Really? He's nice?" the cheetah asked. In an instant, he was out from behind Simba and standing in front of the two brothers. He looked over Kicheko and tried to decide on whether or not these lions were telling the truth. This pup seemed ok. He certainly didn't appear to be like the mean hyenas him and his mother ran into while wondering the desert. Plus, these lions were a lot nicer than he expected. His mother told him that both lions and hyenas were bad news and that he should avoid them at all costs, but now, Beba was starting to have different feelings towards them… well the lions at least.

"Sorry, Beba." Beba was a bit surprised when the hyena pup apologized to him suddenly, "I've… just not been in a good mood lately. I'm a nice guy, honest. I'm just… been having one of them dog days. Can we… start over?" There was a moment of silence for a short while, when suddenly, Beba started busting out laughing. Kicheko and the others had confused expressions as they watched the cheetah cub lie on the ground laughing his head off.

"D-Dog days…" he wheezed in-between laughs, "T-That's a good one!"

"Heh heh…" Kopa began to chuckle a bit to, "I have to admit, K. That was one of your better jokes." This caused the young pup to smile. It had been a while since he had actually told a joke that made others laugh. Still… he was just being honest with the cheetah cub. He wanted to make a new friend, and though he had Kopa; his brother was really all he had in terms of friends. Most of the other members of the Pride tolerated his presence, and though some of them began to like the young pup, Kicheko knew the reason why the others didn't really like him. It was because he was a hyena.

"I like you guys." Beba suddenly said as he stopped laughing and stood up to his feet, "You're not as bad as mother said you were."

"Oh?" Simba raised an eyebrow at this, "And what exactly has your mother said about us?"

"Well, she-"

"Beba! Get over here!" Beba cringed when he heard his mother call him. It seemed as though she finally finished berating his father. Letting out an annoyed huff, Beba slowly trotted over to his mother, leaving a disappointed Kopa and Kicheko to wait by their father.

"Yes, Mom?" he moaned.

"You are going to head back to the den with your father and you are going to stay there until I get back! Do I make myself clear?" Beba was shocked at his mother's words. Sure, he knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but having him go all the way back after meeting the Lion King and his family? It just didn't seem fair to the young cheetah cub.

"But Mom-" Streak was about to scold her son, but someone else suddenly came in on the conversation.

"It's ok, Streak." Beba, Streak, and the other cheetahs were genuinely surprised to hear Simba suddenly speak up, "I think it may be wise to let the boy stay and watch, just to understand what is taking place here today."

"Don't tell me how to parent my own children, _Simba._ " Streak growled back. Simba merely shook his head, trying his best to ignore the angry tone in Streak's voice so that he could focus on what he was about to say.

"Does he even know why you all left to begin with? Does he understand why you are even here?"

"He doesn't need to be brought into this." Streak argued. This was one stubborn cheetah. Simba knew that if he wanted to make any progress then he would have to try and show her that he understood her plight. The cheetahs were given a bad deal by his uncle, and now all Simba wanted to do was make amends for his actions.

"Look, Streak." Simba sighed, "I understand what you have gone through… what you are still going through. I know it must be difficult to raise a child, especially in the wilds beyond the Pride Land's borders. That's why I'm here. I truly want to help you. Please let me." Simba could see that as he spoke, Streak's expression never changed, however, he could see her eyes start to mist. Was he getting through to her? Maybe the arrival of her young cheetah son changed something.

Streak then wiped her eyes with her paws and looked Simba dead in the eyes as she growled, "How could you possibly understand what we've gone through? You will never understand what it's like to lose everything you once knew and loved to a… a monster." There was a moment of silence as Simba went deep into thought about how he would respond.

"Hm…" Simba sighed, before addressing Streak again in a calm tone, "I guess you're right." Everyone looked at Simba dumbfounded by his words. That was not something they were expecting the mighty Lion King to say. Then, Simba began to slowly approach Streak. As he did, he stared her right in the eyes as he continued speaking, "How could I ever understand your plight? After all, I was only a cub, a child, when I lost my father to the same tyrant who cast yours out. At least you had your family. I was lied to and blamed for a crime I didn't commit. I was then cast out into the wild, left with no one but myself and the friends I made along the way. I had no mother to cry on, no father to seek counsel from. I was exiled from the only home I knew, but came back when I was older not for my sake but for the sake of my family and the ones I loved, so that they could have the life I wish I could have lived." By now he was only a few feet away from Streak's face. The cheetah representative only stared at Simba with wide eyes, surprised by his sudden boldness and the words he just spoke. Then, to finish it all off, Simba said simply, "So I guess you're right, Streak. How could I possibly understand what it's like to lose everything to a monster?"

Streak was left speechless, her son looked up at the Lion King with aw, the other males had nervous looks on their faces, and on the sidelines, Sarabi was as giddy as a little cub.

"That's my son." She said with a sly smile at Nala. Her daughter-in-law merely returned the smile and replied, "That's my mate."

"Truly…" Streak said in a shaky tone, "I have misjudged you… Simba." This was the first time Simba heard her speak his name in sincerity. It was… nice. "I… may have been a bit overzealous in the beginning of our meeting and I must apologize for that."

"It's alright, Streak." Simba replied as his gaze went to the young cheetah cub beside her, "After meeting such a fine son as yours, I completely understand why you would only want a fair deal for your people." This earned a smile from both Beba and his mother. Now she felt like such a fool for acting the way she did earlier.

"I am willing to hear your opinion on our terms. What say you?"

"That is all I ask for." Simba smiled as he placed his paw on Streak's shoulder, as if to symbolize his trust that he put in the cheetah's representative. "I am willing to grant your people a small extension to your hunting grounds as compensation for your father's mistreatment. However, it will be a lot less than three quarters of the Pride Lands and the request for access to Pride Rock is out of the question. For it will surly throw the Circle of Life out of-"

"What?!" Streak suddenly exclaimed as she pulled away from Simba's paw. Simba was then worried. Was she still holding on to her original demands? Did all he just say suddenly not make sense to her? To everyone's surprise, Streak laughed, "Since when did I ever say I wanted access to Pride Rock?" She then looked at Simba with a confused expression. He was joking. He had to be joking.

"Wait…" Simba needed to wrap his head around this, "So you don't want Pride Rock?"

"Of course not!" Streak scoffed, "What use would I have for living in that stuffy rock? Where in the world did you think that I ever wanted-" suddenly, Streak's eyes widened for a moment, and Simba watched as her face slowly turned into a menacing scowl. She then turned around and looked at the other males who were behind her, all of which had worried looks on their faces.

"You…" she growled as she slowly approached them, "Which one of you-" Before Streak could even finish her threat, every male there got up and made a dash for the savannah.

"Hey!" Streak called out as she watched them flee in terror, "Get back here you no good liars!" Simba watched as Streak fumed in her frustration. He didn't blame her. Apparently they had both been misled. Suddenly, Streak's mate, Mwongo spoke up.

"Well… this has been fun." The male cheetah said, his voice having a nervous tone to it as he tried to nudge his son along, "But I think I should be getting Beba back home. Come on son, let's go."

"Oh no you don't!" before Mwongo could even begin to sprint, Streak was already on top of him and slammed his head into the dirt. "You got some explaining to do."

Simba and the others watched from the sidelines as Streak interrogated her mate. By now, Nala and Sarabi approached Simba and stood beside him. Both of them were so proud of how he handled himself and they were glad to see that everything has turned around for the better. They had no doubt that Streak would be willing to hear them out.

"Streak, darling, sugar-pee, I can explain!" Mwongo cried as his mate shoved his face into the dirt.

"Please do!" Streak growled, "You told me that the lions were giving us barely enough land to live on! So why do I hear all this talk about us owning half the Pride Lands as well as Pride Rock?"

"Well…" Mwongo chuckled nervously as he picked his head up, "Funny story… really. Um… a few days back when that hornbill came and visited us, the boys and I figured that we offer our demands since… you know… the whole ordeal with your father left us without a home. We just wanted a… a fair trade. That's all." Mwongo's answer was met by his face once again being smashed into the dirt.

"You selfish, lying, extorting piece of filth!" Streak growled, "You're little lie nearly cost our people a place back in the Pride Lands! Not to mention you lied to me about what Simba had originally offered us!"

By now, Beba went over and sat by Kopa and Kicheko, since he knew better then to be by his mother when she was angry. The children watched as Streak continued to hound her mate. It was a funny sight, seeing a female boss around a male, but Kopa wondered how often this happened.

"Are they like that all the time?" Kopa asked Beba.

"Not really." Beba replied, "Dad's usually smart enough not to lie to Mom. Now he's really going to get it." The children and the adults continued to watch Streak berate her husband, until finally she got off of him and lifted him up by the ear with her paw.

"OW! Please, not the ear again! I said I was sorry!" Mwongo wined.

"Shut up, you big oaf!" Streak scolded before turning back to Simba. Her attitude softened and her tone was polite as she spoke, "I am truly sorry for my husband, your majesty. He's not usually this stupid."

"I appreciate the apology, Streak, but now we have another problem to deal with." Simba then approached the cheetah couple and looked down at Mwongo, who gulped when he saw Simba stare him down. Then Simba said, "You know… lying about diplomatic matters is considered a serious crime, here in the Pride Lands."

"Oh please, your highness." Mwongo begged, "It was an honest mistake. I beg you… show mercy!"

"Oh don't worry." Simba said with a sly smile, "I already have the perfect punishment picked out." He then picked up his head and said to Streak, "I leave Mwongo's discipline to you, Mrs. Streak. Do with him whatever you see fit." Upon hearing this, Mwongo's eyes widened and a wide toothy grin spread across Streak's face.

"You're wisdom knows no bounds, King Simba." Streak said as she then proceeded to drag off Mwongo in the opposite direction.

"No! Please!" Mwongo begged as he was dragged off, "Anything but this, Simba! A month's fast, community service, exile; anything but this!"

"Oh shut up you big baby." Streak groaned. She was about to leave, but then she remembered why she was there in the first place. She turned back and called out, "Oh, and Simba," The Lion King looked to see her smiling as she spoke, "The cheetahs agree to whatever terms you have set upon our return." Simba responded by bowing his head and quoting a thanks that his mother taught him for the cheetahs.

"In that case, welcome back to the Pride Lands, Streak." Simba replied, "May your speed never falter and the spots on your back never fall off."

"The same to you, your majesty." Streak returned the gesture. "May your mane grow ever bigger and may the sun never set on your time." Giving each other one final bow, Streak began to walk back home, before calling out, "Beba, come along." Hearing his mother call him, he looked back at his two new friends.

"It was great meeting you guys." Beba smiled as he shook Kopa's paw, "I hope we can hang out sometime."

"Of course." Kopa replied, "You can come over to Pride Rock any time. You're a Pride Lander now, Beba."

"Huh, Pride Lander." Beba mauled to word over in his head, "Beba the Pride Lander… has a nice ring to it."

"Come on, Beba!" Streak called out again.

"Ok guys, I got to go. See you around!" having said that, Beba streaked off after his mother and father, leaving Simba and his family alone at Flat-ridge Rock.

"Whew…" Simba breathed a sigh of relief once Streak and her family were out of sight, "Glad that's over."

"I knew you could do it." Sarabi said as she nuzzled her son.

"Heh… yeah." Simba sighed, "You weren't kidding when you said she was brash."

"But it all worked out in the end." Nala said as she walked up beside her mate, "I don't know about you, but I think it might be time we start heading home. The hunting party will probably be back by now."

"About time." Kicheko said as he and his family started to leave Flat-ridge Rock and beagn making their way back to Pride Rock, "I'm starving."

"Me to." Kopa added, "Listening to all that talk made me hungry."

"I agree." Simba chuckled. Yep, it was a long talk, but in the end, everything worked out ok. The cheetahs would be rejoining the Pride Lands and Simba was becoming a bit more comfortable with his duties as king.

On the way back to Pride Rock, however, Kopa was deep in thought about what took place earlier. He was glad he got to meet Beba, though his mother kind of scared him. The cheetah cub would be a great friend to have around. What really troubled him, however, was his own brother, Kicheko. His words from before kept of ringing over and over in Kopa's head.

" _I'm the only hyena you know..."_

It made Kopa think that maybe that was the reason Kicheko was so down lately. Was he feeling alone, that he didn't have anyone else like him in the entire Pride Lands? That's when Kopa got an idea on how to help his brother.

"It's a bit crazy." Kopa said to himself, "But if it helps, K then it's totally worth it."

 **END OF CHAPTER 11**

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 **Yay! New characters.**

 **Glad to see that everything worked out ok with the cheetahs. Poor Mwongo though. I knew his name meant liar for a reason.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed and let me know what you think.**

 **Until next time guys!**

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 **Reader Response**

 _ **Liam Holman**_

 **I'm glad your enjoying it so far. If you have any suggestions or if there is something you would like to see then please PM me and let me know.**

 _ **Money100**_

 **Yep, Rafiki is one of those 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' kind of people.**

 _ **yingyangmaster**_

 **I planned on having Marifa way before Rise of Scar. When Disney through in their own version of Rafiki's apprentice I decided to put them both together. Also, don't worry about Kicheko. I'm sure Kopa will help him out sooner or later.**

 _ **Gulefritz**_

 **I'm glad you like it. I truly hope you keep on reading and reviewing as you go along with each chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone! Welcome back to another Chapter!**

 **Sorry about the late upload. Campus Life is hectic. Speeches and writing papers other than my story really take it's toll.**

 **Still, as promised, I'm trying to post weekly and as much as possible.**

 **Also, shout out to Liam Holman, Money100, yingyangmaster, Gracekim1, and Kivuline. Thank you all for your constant reviews and positive feedback! Also, Shoutout to Just Reader or Reviewer, NinjaKitty91, and Mafanikio for following my story. Your support means a lot and I hope you all enjoy the content I put out for you guys.**

 **Also, I'm just one review away from the 50 mark. Thank you all so much for the support of this story. I truly touches my heart that you all are enjoying this story so much.**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

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 **Ch. 12 Setting the Stage**

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Near the boarders of the Pride Lands, in a well secluded cave, young Nuka was enjoying a nice quiet nap. His mother had to go out on an errand with the other guard members earlier that day. Since he didn't have anyone to hang out with, and since his father remained distant from him, the cub decided to just enjoy the peace and quiet.

"Errrraa…" he mumbled as he slept, tossing and turning on the cold floor of the den while having a dumb looking smile on his face, "Yes, Mother… I… am great… aren't I?"

"ROAAAAAH!" Nuka's eyes shot open and he instinctively sprang from his lofty position on the floor and landed into a nearby pile of bones. He popped his head out, causing a few small scraps to scatter around the room, before looking around the den. His crooked whiskers twitched and his hair stood on end as the loud roar still echoed throughout the den. It didn't take him long to figure out that the roar belonged to his father, Scar; but something was definitely wrong. He never roared that loud before.

Creeping up to the corner that separated Nuka's den from the others, he peeked out behind the cave wall, trying to see what was going on. Instantly, he saw his mother and the other guard members lined up and seated in front of Scar. At first, Nuka wanted to run out and greet his mother, but when he saw the angry look in his father's features, he decided to wait for a moment. If there was one thing he quickly learned when he reunited with his father, was that when he was angry, it was best to stay out of his way until he had cooled off. So, he waited and watched until the time was just right to go and see Zira.

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To say that Scar was angry would be an understatement. He was absolutely furious! When he saw his guard approach the den he knew something didn't go according to plan. He called together a meeting with his guard, though in all honesty, it was a meeting that shouldn't even be happening. Zira and the others knew it, and it troubled them to think of what their leader would do once he realized his plan had failed.

"I sent you, my most loyal subjects, on a mission of great importance." Scar seethed as he paced back and forth in front of his guardsmen, who were lined up before him, "It was simple: infiltrate Simba's ranks and earn the trust of the pride. Yet, here you all are. Please tell me why… that… is!" His emerald green eyes scanned through the faces of his followers, looking for the one responsible for this failure.

Brin and Brang both held their gaze towards Scar, even though both of them had large droplets of sweat streaming down the side of their faces. Vita avoided Scar's gaze, all the while Zira's expression remained stone cold as she looked at him. Tizamo just looked at the others with a puzzled expression written on his face. None of them were talking, which was a surprise to Scar. Did they truly fear him that much that they dare not speak a word on their failure? Back in Scar's prime, during his time as Leader of the Lion Guard, if anyone was out of line then they would be a real lion and fess up to their mistake, not remain silent like a bunch of witless cubs who waited on their mother to punish them.

"So…" Scar spoke in a droll tone as he continued to pace back and forth in front of his men, "None of you have anything to tell me? No story, perhaps?"

"It was king Simba, sire." Scar looked back at the lion who spoke up and raised an eyebrow. Brin and Brang gritted their teeth, while Tizamo and Zira looked at the said lion with disapproval. He should have just remained quiet and let Scar figure it out for himself. Scar then walked over to the one who spoke, his bravest, and currently most incompetent, follower, Vita.

"Do tell, Vita." Scar said, his muzzle just a few feet away from Vita's face, "What did my nephew do to cause you and your fellow guardsmen to fail?"

"W-Well…" Vita let out a nervous laugh, "He was… _very_ insightful, my lord. We did exactly as you said and approached him calmly and showed ourselves not to be a threat. Yet, he somehow knew our true intent." Vita continued to ramble, he had to think of something, anything, to get out of this situation. Not thinking before he spoke, he blurted out. "Everything was going well… that is… until Zira decided to attack him right then and there. That was when everything went downhill."

"What?!" Zira screamed in rage. That no good scoundrel was not about to weasel out of taking his share of the blame! In fact, if it wasn't for him opening his big mouth in the first place then Simba and the rest of pride would never have learned of their secret plot to go out and kill him back when Scar ruled. Vita instantly felt claws run across his face, piercing the skin and leaving a nasty scratch mark across his muzzle. He let out a scream of pain as he laid on the ground, clutching the side of his jaw; but to everyone's surprise, it wasn't Zira who struck him. Scar stood over the lion, looking over his claws as if he had just sharpened them up against a rock, only this time Vita was the rock.

"Oh, Vita…" Scar sighed as he flexed his claws out and admired his work on Vita's face, "You think I'm so foolish as to actually buy what you have just said as an actual excuse for failure?"

"S-Sire." Vita was able to gasp out, "If it wasn't for Zira then-"

"I don't want to hear about Zira's failures, or anyone else's for that matter!" Scar shouted as he continued to stare down Vita, "You are not some rogue who is trying to earn his cut of flesh for your services. You are a part of the Lion Guard; my Lion Guard! If you fail, then everyone fails! I'm absolutely furious with you Vita; in fact, I'm furious with all of you!" he then turned his attention to the others, "All of you! Getting into Simba's Pride was a key mission that you were all supposed to complete! Now, because of your incompetence, I must think of some other way to-" suddenly, Scar broke into a fit of coughs, causing everyone to look at him with alarm. In an instant, Zira and Tizamo were by his side as they helped him slowly lower his body down to the ground in a laying position.

"Easy, my love. Easy." Zira soothed as Scar continued to cough.

"You can't press yourself to much, Scar." Tizamo added. He knew his leader was anxious to get back out into the field, but he was still so weak from his ordeal back at Pride Rock when Simba defeated him. Tizamo somewhat feared Scar would never fully recover.

"I know…" Scar sighed as he began to take slow, deep breaths. He was still furious with his followers for their failure, yet he could not deny that he still needed them. No longer could he aimlessly throw away lives at will, like he used to. He needed every asset available to him… even those who are as incompetent as Vita. "Despite this… short coming, I can work this to our advantage. Your work is invaluable to my plan to return to power."

"If our work is so invaluable, then you shall have it." Tizamo said, with pride in his voice, "And we will follow you to the death." He then stepped in front of Scar and bowed his head before saying, "I… know the severity in our mission, and there is no excuse for our shortcomings in completing it. And… it is for this reason that I submit myself to whatever punishment you choose, my king."

Scar looked up at Tizamo for a moment, not knowing whether he should strike him as well… or perhaps show him some manner of respect. His grey pelt gave off a dark shadowy silver color in the darkness of the den. The look suited him, for to Scar that was his role in his Lion Guard: a watcher, an agent in the shadows, his Keenest of Sight. Besides all the other members of his guard, Tizamo was the only one who could actually think for himself. Of course that was Scar's opinion. Brin and Brang needed direction in order to know what they would do next, and Zira and Vita acted solely out of emotion and instinct. Tizamo, however, was like Scar in a way. He could actually see all that laid before him, both seen and unseen by the naked eye. Just like Scar, he knew that there was a method to the madness of his missions with the others. It was for that reason, why he would play probably the most important part in Scar's plan; not just for taking over the Pride Lands, but for establishing his new dynasty.

"Your request has been noted, Tizamo." Scar stated as he remained laying on the floor. Then he looked up at the others and said, "Since you all now have time on your hands, I have some matters that need to be taken care of, here in the Out Lands."

"What is it you need done, Scar?" Zira asked, eager to regain her and her fellow Guards men's trust back.

"Now…" Scar sighed, "Things must change. The original plan was to undermine my nephew's authority from the inside. Now, we must look to outside forces for our goals to be met." Yes… that was what he needed now: more followers, and the Out Lands was as good a place as any to start. Unlike the Pride Lands, these lands were barren, and filled with dangers such as quick sand, hot pockets of gas, and unruly predators who wouldn't mind causing some mayhem… as long as there was something in it for them. While Scar spoke with his guard, he thought of all that he needed in order to make progress towards taking back the throne. In just a matter of minutes he figured out everything he needed in order to create an appropriate coup, one which could overthrow Simba's base of operation. However, before he could get allies, he needed to expand on his current resources. That was where his guard came into play.

"What is it that you require of us, oh great one?" Brin asked as he bowed his head in respect. Scar looked at the brothers for a moment before deciding what role they would be appropriate for.

"Both of you." Brin and Brang straightened up when Scar addressed them, "None of us can be seen inside of the Pride Lands, or else Simba will suspect that you are all up to something. We need a way to monitor the Pride Lands without gaining notice from anyone."

"Do you have something in mind?" Vita asked gruffly as he finally picked himself off the ground and licked the fresh scratch mark on his muzzle.

"Yes…" Scar replied to Vita coldly before looking back at his Strongest and Fastest warriors. "Both of you. Scour the land and find me animals who would be suitable to monitor the Pride Lands without drawing attention to themselves." He then turned to Zira. "Zira, I need you to start patrolling the outside of the den. Make sure no one steps foot inside or anywhere around our hide out. Our location cannot be known to anyone."

"Of course, my love." Zira bowed in respect. Then, Scar turned to Vita. Though his incompetence and inability to take responsibility should have earned him a death make by now, he was still of some use to Scar. Besides, he knew how to properly discipline those who failed in their duties.

"Vita." The Bravest of Scar's guard straitened up as his leader addressed him, "I'm placing you in charge of hunting us food for the next few weeks. Any lack of food or inability to arrive back before nightfall will be met with severe punishment, until further notice." For the first time in a long time, Vita was left speechless when he heard this. He had gone on hunts before, but Zira was the best out of all of them and Scar knew this. Why was he now putting all of the responsibility on him to bring back something to eat?

"M-My king." Vita said, as he tried to regain his composure, "Surly Zira would be more equipped for the task of-"

"You will do what I command of you, Vita!" Scar growled, "Since you don't care about the wellbeing of your fellow guard, then perhaps you will care more about what will happen to yourself if you should fail with what I have put before you. So until you learn to act like a guard, I will treat you like a rogue until I feel this lesson has sunken in to your skull. Do I make myself clear?" Vita was angry with Scar's decision. He had spent years under his rule and he had always remained loyal and true. Yet, one mess up, and he was now being treated like some worthless dog. It was not his way to respect those who disgraced him, but it was a different case when it was Scar. He would submit to Scar's will, but he would not forget this for a long time.

"Vita?" Scar asked, noticing Vita's stern expression as he was lost in thought. He slowly lifted his head up and Scar asked once again, "Do… I… make… myself… clear?"

"As day." was Vita's reply. It wasn't exactly what Scar was looking for, but it would have to do.

"Good." Scar said, before addressing all of them, "You all have your assignments, now see that they are carried out." They would get the job done; Scar had faith in them. Despite this… minor setback, he knew his Guard was more than capable for completing the tasks he set before them. Still, there was one member who was anxious to do something, and Scar had something special planned for him.

"What would you have me do, Scar?" Tizamo asked. It wasn't like Scar to not use all of his guard for a task, which meant either Scar simply had no need for his Keenest of Sight at the moment… or he had something else in mind.

"As for you, Tizamo," Scar addressed him, "I will need you to go out and look for followers, whether they be lions or other animals. Yet, your task will take you farther then the boundaries of the Pride Lands and much longer to complete then the others, so I must leave you with certain instructions if you are to succeed while you're away." Scar stopped and noticed that the rest of the Guard were still there in the den with him. That would not do at all for what he had planned.

"What are you all waiting for?" Scar asked like his followers were all crazy, "Go! Fulfill my will!"

"Yes sir!" Instantly, Brin and Brang were out of the den as they began their search for agents that Scar could use. Meanwhile, Vita and Zira slowly left their leader alone with Tizamo.

As the Fiercest and Bravest of Scar's Lion Guard walked away, Zira looked back at her beloved as he went back to talking with Tizamo. This was now the second time she had disappointed him. First with Nuka's birth, now with this. Though Scar clearly held everyone accountable to what happened, Zira knew that the bulk of the blame was on her. Vita was actually right about something for once in his life: it was her fault. If she hadn't let her anger get the better of her, then maybe they would still be in the Pride Lands, but no, they were back here with Scar. Now they were being sent out again, with the tormenting feeling of disgrace and failure weighing on their minds. Despite this, Zira knew she had some improvements to make if she wanted to be able to please Scar once again, and nothing would stop her in regaining his trust. Not her ego, not her fellow men, and certainly not her anger. One way or another, Scar would once again recognize her worth.

"You're awfully quiet for someone who just got sent away by her mate." Vita said as he continued to walk beside her to the front of the den. Zira then remembered what Vita said earlier, and instantly she felt herself becoming enraged at his attempt to shift the blame of the failed mission on her. She was about to raise her paw to strike him, but then she suddenly heard a voice come up from behind her.

"Mother!" Zira looked back to see Nuka come bounding towards her. She still kept her stern expression on her face, yet the anger she felt softened when she saw her son come running out to meet her. Despite Nuka being such a weak and needy cub… he was still her son, and she was still his mother. For some reason, that alone would make her feel something warm inside; yet she would dare not show it to anyone.

"I'm so glad your back, Mother." Nuka said as he sat in front of her and Vita, "Is everything ok? Dad sounded really mad back there." Zira was silent for a moment. She didn't want Nuka to know about what happened… and she certainly didn't want Vita running his mouth in front of her son about her failure, so she reacted the only way she knew how.

"Shut up, Vita!" she growled at him, making the black maned lion look at her with a startled expression.

"B-But I didn't say anything!" Vita stuttered. What was her problem? Was it so wrong that he-

"You heard what Scar said. Go out and get to hunting!" Zira huffed. Upon hearing this, Vita scowled at her. Between Scar's insults and her attitude, he was really ticked off right now. He wanted to put her in her palace, to hurt her… but he knew he couldn't. Zira would most likely leave him with a few scars and a possible broken bone. Besides that, Scar would simply sick the others on him. No… he would wait until the right moment. Scar may have taken him in and labeled him his Bravest of the Lion Guard... but he would not be treated like this without consequences.

"Fine…" he growled before heading out into the Out Lands. He couldn't stay here any longer, nor bare to see Zira or Scar until he had cooled off a bit. Yes, that's what he needed; time to cool off.

Nuka watched as Vita began to walk away from the den, before going into a full sprint out into the rocky caverns that lead into the deeper part of the Out Lands. He then looked back at his mother, who had a scowl on her face as she watched the lion disappear into the shadows of the night.

"Mother?" Nuka asked again, "Are you alright?" Zira glanced back at her son as she still kept the same scowl on her face. Was everything truly alright? Was everything as it should be?

"No…" Zira said in a low voice, "But I'll make sure that changes. By the Great Kings I swear that I'll rewrite the wrongs that were done today. Someday…"

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When Zira and Vita got out of sight, and they knew they were finally alone, Scar spoke up and addressed his last follower.

"Now Tizamo." He said, "I have something else I need you to take care of for me. It's somewhat of a... _special_ errand."

"And what might that be?" Tizamo asked as he watched Scar lay on the cold rocky floor, "What is so important that you sent the others away?"

"For many months, I have been confined to this den." Scar explained, as he stared out into the distance, "Just recently have I obtained my ability to walk and run. Yet… during my time in recovery, I did the only thing I could. Do you know what that would be?"

"Planning? Thinking? Getting better?" Tizamo asked, not understanding where Scar was going with this.

"Dreaming, Tizamo." Scar looked back at him, his voice now taking a more passionate tone, "Dreaming of the future and what is to be. I see it every day. Night after night, the Great Kings send me a vision, and each time it becomes more and more clear."

"A vision?" by now Tizamo was intrigued by what Scar was revealing to him. He may have been the one to look over the dark king and help him recover, yet never did Scar reveal to him that he was having visions. "What is it that you see?"

"I see a king." Scar closed his eyes and pictured the entire scene in his mind as he spoke, "A mighty king who stands at the peak of Pride Rock. His fur is as dark as the dirt, his eyes shine like emeralds in the night, and running over his left eye is a singular Scar… it looks exactly like mine." Tizamo truly had no words to describe what he felt. This was incredible. If the lion he described truly was like Scar said he would be, then that was assurance that Scar's plan would truly succeed. Yet, as he listened, Scar revealed more, "I see him surrounded by animals as well as lions and they all say the same thing. They shout, 'All hail the king! All hail the Lion King!' And in response, he lets out a roar so powerful that practically shakes the heavens! Then… I awake."

"Truly…" Tizamo began as he let all that Scar told him sink in, "That must mean that you saw Nuka's coronation. Which means that we win in the end, correct?"

"Yes… and No." Scar responded, leaving Tizamo puzzled, "I do believe this to be a future in which I have succeeded in overthrowing Simba, yet it wasn't Nuka I saw at Pride Rock. This lion was fit and powerful. His mane was as large as my brother's. There was no trace of fear in his features and his very presence sent shivers down my spine. His eyes were like mine and he had my scar on his face. That could only mean one thing. This lion… he is my heir… my perfect, beautiful heir." Tizamo looked curiously at the Scar as he continued to look out at simply nothing. His 'perfect heir'? What did that mean? Did he and Zira have another child on the way? Was there another lioness that he had been with him during his time as king? Well… he did try to go after Nala while Zira was away, but he heard that the outcome ended with Scar's face getting slashed. So… what did he mean when he spoke of this mysterious lion being his heir?

"Sire…" Tizamo began cautiously. "Is there something you haven't told us? Did you and Zira…"

"No!" Scar responded a bit too abruptly. He understood what Tizamo meant and though he had thought of such a thing in the past, he had different thoughts about it after Nuka came along. The very thought of being _that_ close to Zira was now… _revolting,_ to say the least _._ He composed himself before explaining, "Eh heh… no… I learned long ago that I could no longer produce a suitable heir due to my… shallow end of the gene pool, if you know what I mean."

"I… have an idea." Tizamo nodded, understanding what Scar meant, "Then… is he a rogue, or the son of one of your Guard members?"

"No, Tizamo. This lion is not the offspring of one of us, nor is he from the Pride Lands, nor is he even a rogue. For you see… my heir… he is from another kingdom."

"How do you know?" Tizamo questioned.

"There are some things…" Scar explained, "That certain lions are born with, certain traits that are undeniable to their heritage. Each time when I watched him, I observed his movements, his posture, even his roar. This lion was born a royal, yet he will have no family. He was conceived in the womb of a queen, yet he will never know her. But most importantly, Tizamo, this lion hasn't even been born yet." Tizamo's eyes widened when he heard this.

"H-How do you know these things?" Tizamo questioned, amazed by what Scar knew.

"I've had this vision many times, my friend." Scar stated with confidence, "and each time it becomes even clearer than before. In my dream the Pride Lands are completely lush and green as they once were, not this half barren half grass land we see today. For the land to fully regain its former beauty, it would require several years for the trees and plants to grow. Seeing this lion, I can guess that he is nearly a full adult in my visions. So, by estimating the time it would take for the Pride Lands to be restored, and comparing it to the age of the lion, I can guess that he will soon be born if not born already." The dark lion then stood to his feet and looked at Tizamo before giving him his final order, "I want you to go out and scour the lands that lie past the Great Desert. Search for a cub, a newborn supposedly, which fits the description of the one in my dream and bring him to me. This is my will."

Incredible. This was truly incredible. If what Scar said was true, then their victory was assured. It somewhat gave Tizamo a peace about the entire matter with taking over the Pride Lands. In the end, they would be victorious. Scar was rarely wrong about these things, and there was no reason to stop doubting him now. In the past, he had visions of the future and they had all come to pass. The return of Simba, the Pride Lands set aflame, even the birth of Nuka; all of these events Scar had dreamed of during his rule and each one of them had come to pass. Scar would call such things a gift, a token of good faith from the Great Kings which guided his steps. At this point there was no denying it, but still, something weighed heavily on Tizamo's mind. It was a question that needed to be answered.

"If you have been having these visions for some time," Tizamo questioned, "why then would you send us all out to infiltrate Simba's Pride if you would need one of us to go out and find this 'heir' of yours?"

"At first…" Scar said as he began to walk around the den, "I thought they were just some meaningless dreams; figments of my imagination that were convoluted by the pain and agony I endured throughout my recovery. Now… seeing as how you all have returned to me, I see that the Great Kings are directing my steps. These visions are the key to establishing my future, and now I know what steps must be taken in order for my new dynasty to be established." There was a pause as Scar once again looked back at his Keenest of Sight. He then walked towards him and in a stern voice, he gave Tizamo his mission, "We have little time. Each day Simba grows stronger and stronger. The sooner you bring back my heir, the sooner we can proceed with the next part of the plan. Now go. Find him and bring him back and if anyone tries to stop you... Well... you know what to do."

"As… you command, my king." Tizamo bowed his head and began to walk away, but all the while he thought back on what Scar was telling him to do. This cub that he was being sent to find… he wasn't even born yet. Seeing how Scar identified him as a lion of royal blood, that would mean that somewhere out there the cub had a mother and most likely a father. Scar was asking him to kidnap a child, an infant from his parents… from his kingdom. Of course, it was highly doubtful that a king and queen of a distant land would just hand over their newborn baby to a stranger for no apparent reason, and it would only make sense that the rest of the kingdom would be wanting retribution for the kidnapping of their prince. Still… Scar had made his order clear, and Tizamo would obey. He would have to think of a solution to the problem as he searched for the cub. In the end, Tizamo knew he would find a way… for his king.

"Oh and, Tizamo. One last thing." Tizamo turned around and looked back at Scar. The dark lion motioned for him to come back over to him, to which Tizamo obediently obliged.

"Yes, my king?" he replied when he approached him. "Is there somet- AARGH!" Tizamo clutched his chest as Scar suddenly dug his claws into his skin. He then shoved Tizamo to the floor, leaving the grey lion balled up and clutching his chest with his paws as he gritted his teeth and groaned in pain. Suffice to say, he was not expecting that from Scar.

"That was your punishment for failing your previous mission." Scar stated coldly. Tizamo looked up as Scar slowly approached him and lowered his head and whispered into his ear, "You are to tell no one of this meeting. If anyone asks; I told you to go out and search for followers in distant lands who would join our cause. Understood?" Tizamo merely nodded in response, which earned him a smile from Scar as he said in a calm and pleased tone, "There's a good lad. Now run along and bring me back my heir." Slowly, Tizamo stood to his feet and began walking towards the den entrance. Part of him was angry at Scar for what he just did, but another part of him reasoned that in the end he did bring this upon himself. He submitted himself to Scar for punishment and that punishment was carried out. Still, that didn't make the experience any less painful.

Scar watched as the grey lion exited the den before he quietly chuckled to himself. Yes… everything was going according to plan. His Lion Guard may have had a minor setback with Simba, but now, everything was back on track. Nothing could ruin his return to power. Nothing!

" _You must be quite proud of yourself right now."_

Of course… he had to come in and ruin his moment. Just like old times.

"What's it to you?" Scar growled at the voice of his brother in his head.

" _Tizamo is a loyal friend. You don't have many of those these days, now do you?"_

"Mufasa…" Scar growled as he walked to the back corner of the den to his usual resting place as he continued to have the conversation with the specter in his head, "Get out of my head! Just leave me alone already!"

" _Very well then. I'll go"_ Even though Scar couldn't see his brother, he could tell by the way he spoke that he had a smile on his face, and just knowing that enraged him. _"but before I do, I just want to say congratulations."_

"What?" it wasn't often Scar was surprised some something, but Mufasa's words were not what he was expecting.

" _I'm sure the cub Tizamo finds will make a fine ruler when the time comes."_ Scar's eyes widened and he could feel his face turn pale. Did… Mufasa just congratulate him… on his heir that Tizamo would retrieve?

"W-What is that supposed to mean?" Scar asked, feeling uneasy at how calm Mufasa was towards this news. This time, however, there was no response. Scar laid there in the darkness and silence of the cave, thinking on what he was just told. His dead brother… the one who has pestered him for so long about why he should give up this crazy venture, just suddenly congratulated him on choosing his successor. Something wasn't right and Scar knew it. Deep inside he knew that something was wrong… something was terribly wrong. What if this cub turned out to be weak like Nuka? What if he wasn't the lion he was thought to believe in his dreams? What if this lion was not Scar's legacy… but instead his end?

"Raw!" Scar growled as he shook his head, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts. Mufasa was just tormenting him. Yes, that's it! He was just trying to get in his head and make him rethink this entire thing all together. No… he would not succumb to this trickery. Mufasa will not have his way!

"Nice try, Mufasa." Scar chuckled to himself as he gently rested his head in-between his paws and tried to get some much needed sleep, "I know what you're trying to do, but it won't work! Tizamo will succeed, and in the end I will have my successor… my heir… my… Chosen One."

 **End of Chapter 12**

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 **Aw, ain't that cute? Mufasa knows something Scar doesn't.**

 **I think Zira has some reevaluating to do. Wonder how that will change her in the future.**

 **Yikes! Scar is really claw happy in the chapter. Hope those marks don't 'scar' hahaha... ha... ha...**

 **(Ok I know that joke was bad.)**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and if you did then please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **Till next time guys!**

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 **Review Response:**

 **Liam Holman:**

 **Thanks for the spell checks and yeah I'm curious as well as to what Kopa has planned for his brother. Guess we'll just have to wait to find out.**

 **Money100:**

 **Yeah, Kicheko can be funny... he is a hyena after all. I'll update whenever I can, even though I'm in college.**

 **Gulefritz:**

 **I know you just started reading the story so just read this to let me know you caught up. I'm glad you are enjoying it all so far, and yeah, I wanted to make it clear for people who both know and don't know Kopa. He is indeed Simba's son. Everyone has their theories on what happened to him, and in this story you will see mine. Though I can guarantee, the turn out will be quite... unique.**

 **yingyangmaster:**

 **lol, I never thought of comparing Streak and Mwongo to Goigoi and Reirei. Though now I'm wondering how I can put the jackals into my story. If you have an idea then let me know. Also, I figured since Simba has been gone for so long, him and Sarabi would probably be spending a lot of time together, whether it's hanging out or having her teach Simba something new about being king. Those two are just close.**

 **Gracekim:**

 **I'm glad you liked Timon and Pumbaa. I've got some great scenes planned for them in the future. But you'll have to follow the story chapter by chapter to know what it is.**

 **:P**

 **Kivuline:**

 **Thanks again for the spell check. I've fixed them and hopefully as I continue writing I'll make less of those mistakes. Glad you are enjoying it all so far.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Once again, here is another chapter coming at ya'll.**

 **I was a bit disappointed. I didn't get a lot of reviews on the last chapter. this past week. I don't know why, but not many reviews makes me sad especially since over a dozen people have followed and favorited this story so far.**

 **:(**

 **Reviews really help and let me know if you are all enjoying what I put out or not. If I don't see reviews on my chapters then... my... content... will... be... posted... slower... then... usual.**

 **Still, I truly hope you are all enjoying what I write and put out for you guys!**

 **Shoutout to _Liam Holman and Money100_ for reviewing my newest chapter, and thank you _Gracekim1 and Kivuline_ for keeping up with your constant reviews as you read though my story. It means a lot.**

 **Shoutout also to _Incarnate Firefly and Just4FunFiction _ for following, favoring, and giving some encouraging words of advice. I really appreciate it.**

 **Enjoy. :)**

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 **Ch. 13 A Gift to a Weary Soul**

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The rest of the week went very smoothly after the ordeal at Flat-Ridge Rock. Word spread all throughout the Pride Lands of how Simba settled the dispute with the cheetah's demands upon their return. The success of the meeting and the praise from the cheetah's representative, Streak caused several other species to start migrating towards the Pride Lands. This was good for it showed that the Pride Lands were now ruled by a king who knew what he was doing. It gave the doubting animals hope that the current Lion King was a just and wise one. Still, this sudden influx of migrating herds and animals created a problem... there was now too many animals and too little land for everyone to live on comfortably.

Though the Pride Lands had once again started to blossom, so much of the land was still dry and barren, which lead to competition over who had control over the few small parts of the land that were fertile. Other major species such as the elephants and the hippos were willing to share their territory with the returning herds until their original homes were restored. Still, even with their help, it didn't take long until the returning species began to fight and dispute over territory that was still green, claiming it was their original home. This, of course, kept Simba busier than ever. The next couple of days were filled with answering complaints, stopping fights, and finding out who owned what. And to make matters worse, Sarabi decided after viewing Simba's progress with the cheetahs that it would be best if he started settling disputes without her by his side.

Simba was naturally a bit concerned when he heard this, for he still had doubts that he wasn't quite ready for the responsibility of ruling the Pride Lands solely on his own. Sarabi, of course agreed that he was far from ready, however, she knew that her son had a knack for settling disputes and helping animals see eye to eye about matters. So, she decided that in order for Simba to become more comfortable with dealing with diplomatic cases, she would simply not join him so that he could start building more self-confidence. Plus, it would give her an excuse to start spending more time with the hunting party. She had to brush up on her old skills if there was going to be enough food to go around in the Pride Lands.

This sudden change wasn't something Simba was all too thrilled about, to say the least. It has been 5 days now and still Zazu had not returned. Now, having to pick up the slack of his Major Domo as well as tending to the returning animals for the past week, the Lion King was pretty much spent. Hopefully Zazu would come back soon. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up on his own. Luckily, Simba wasn't the only one thinking that.

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It was now late in the afternoon, and Nala, Sarabi, and the other lionesses had just returned from a very successful hunt. With the increase in animal numbers, the hunting grounds had been plentiful; the most it had been in years. Even with following the rules and regulations that were set while out hunting, Nala and the others brought back a feast: three, Impala dear, four bush bucks, and two zebra. It had been so long since they had brought back a kill this large before. It really got the girls excited when they realized how successful they were. They probably wouldn't have to go out hunting for a couple weeks; a month easily.

As Nala dragged her Impala deer near the slopes of Pride Rock, she stopped and looked back proudly at her fellow hunters.

"Whew…" Nala sighed as she put down her kill and watched as the others started to do the same. She then spoke with a tone that held much pride to it, "Nice going girls. I think that was our best hunt yet."

"That was amazing!" a young lioness, who went by the name Atriss spoke up as she gasped for breath. "I've never seen so many animals in one place in all my life!"

"Yes…" Sarabi chuckled at the young lioness' energy. She herself had to admit, even the hunts during Mufasa's rule were not as plentiful as what they had today. Still… those were different times all together. "It was definitely one of our better hauls."

"I've got to say, Sarabi," Nala smiled at her mother in-law, "you haven't lost your touch. That was some pretty impressive take downs you performed today."

"You as well, Nala." Sarabi returned the compliment, "Simba will be happy to see how much we brought back this time."

"Speaking of his majesty," Atriss suddenly spoke up again, "Shouldn't he be back by now?" This caused everyone to start looking around Pride Rock, and just like Atriss said, the Lion King was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh dear…" Sarabi sighed. It wasn't a worried sigh, but it did show that she had a pretty good idea on where her son was at, "Seems as though Simba's still settling the dispute at Big Springs."

"Seriously?" Atriss asked in annoyance, "He left before the sun was even up. Now it's past noon and he still isn't here? What is taking him so long?" Sarabi and Nala merely smiled in response. Atriss was one of the younger members of the pride and she still had some ways to go when it came to understanding diplomatic matters. Even though she was now concerned an adult and she could join the hunts, she still kept some of her impatient attitude that she had during her teenage years. Still, she was a good girl, and Nala and Sarabi made sure to be patient with her, as well as the rest of the pride when it came to royal matters.

"Now Atriss," Sarabi stated, "Our king is busy making sure the other animals in the Pride Lands are getting along and doing well. If they're not, then we probably won't have such successful hunts like this in the future." She then smiled as she said, "Besides, if you were in his paws then you would probably still be over at Big Springs as well. It's not easy to negotiate with Sable antelope."

"Sable Antelope?" Atriss scoffed when she heard that, "You might as well ask me to run up to the sky and grab a cloud. Those horn-heads are as stubborn as they come." This earned a chuckle from the others, all except for Nala. She knew Simba had to be given some space as he learned how to run the Pride Lands, but it didn't stop her from worrying about him, or wanting to help. To her, it just didn't feel right to stand on the sidelines while he carried all the problems of the Pride Lands on his shoulders.

"Come on girls." Sarabi suddenly ordered everyone, "Let's get these kills out of the sun and into the den before they spoil." Nala just remained still as she watched the others take their kills inside to the back corner where they stored the food. She knew it was the responsibility of a queen to lead the hunting party, if she chose to, but she had been doing that ever since she was a teenager. She wanted to do more… she wanted to be more than just this.

During the time of Scar's reign, Sarabi had been teaching her about leadership skills and other royal traditions. Even though back then she was no longer in a position to be queen, Sarabi still loved her like she was her own daughter and helped raise her and get her through those tough years of depression and famine. During that time Nala learned how a queen should act and learned about her role in running the Pride Lands. One of them, was assisting the king in his duties.

"Excuse me, Nala?" Nala looked back to see Atriss was now right next to her. She gave the Queen a bright smile as she asked, "Are you going to bring that in with us?" she gestured to the kill at Nala's feet. Nala merely smiled back and answered, "I'd appreciate it you did it for me, Atriss. I've got some things I need to do."

"Certainly, your grace." Atriss bowed her head in respect before dragging the kill inside with the others. Sarabi watched this and she instantly knew that something was going on. Nala wouldn't usually be silent unless something was on her mind. As she suspected, Nala gazed back at her with a concerned look on her face before she approached the retired queen.

Nala knew Sarabi was just preparing Simba for the times when she wouldn't be there beside him. Of course Nala respected her wishes on the matter. Still, she felt like part of her was now being caged. She felt like she was being held back and not able to do what she was trained… no… what she was born to do: to be by Simba's side and help keep peace in the Pride Lands.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Sarabi asked.

"Sort of…" Nala stated, not entirely sure how she could put this lightly, "Sarabi, I was wondering if-"

"Aaaah!" Nala and Sarabi both turned their heads towards the sound of the scream and were shocked to see Kicheko come tumbling down one of the rocky slopes of Pride Rock. The pup landed on the hard dirt floor with a thud and let out a groan that showed that he was in pain.

"Kicheko!" Nala and Sarabi exclaimed as they rushed over to the young pup.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Only when I say 'ow'." Kicheko replied grouchily as he got to his feet. That's when Nala noticed something. Kicheko's eyes had what looked like a vine blindfold around them.

"What is this?" she asked, curious by what she saw.

"You mean this?" the hyena pup pointed at the blindfold around his eyes, "It's something Kopa put on me. He says it's to keep me from seeing the surprise that he has in store for me… but apparently it's somewhere out in the Pride Lands." That would explain why neither Kicheko nor Kopa greeted them when they got back. They were usually the first to see them after a good hunt.

"If the surprise Kopa has for you is out in the Pride Lands," Nala pointed out, "Then why don't you take that silly thing off until you are at least near where you are going?"

"Trust me..." Kicheko groaned, "I want to take it off, but every time I try…" as the hyena lifted his paw to try and undo the vines…

"Hey! No peeking!" Kicheko sighed as he heard the voice of his brother once again telling him not to do the very thing he wished he could do. Nala and Sarabi watched as Kopa came bounding down the rocky slope and walked up by his brother before noticing them.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Grandma." He greeted with a cheerful toothy grin. This earned an amused look from the two lionesses. Just what was their little prince up to now?

"Kopa…" Nala started, "Would you care to explain to us why you have your brother blindfolded?"

"Oh, right!" Kopa walked up besides the hyena pup and wrapped his arm around him in a hug as he explained, "I'm taking, K out in the savannah. I have a surprise to show him."

"Is that so?" Sarabi asked while eyeing her grandson in suspicion, "And do tell: what is this surprise that you plan on showing Kicheko?"

"Grandma…" Kopa laughed, thinking it was funny his grandmother was asking such a simple question in front of the person he was trying to surprise, "If I told you then Kicheko won't be surprised when I show him."

"Well if you tell me and take off this blindfold," Kicheko tried to reason, "I'll still act surprised."

"No can do, K." Kopa shook his head, even though he knew Kicheko couldn't see him doing so, "This is just what you need to cheer you up." This answer earned a groan from Kicheko while Nala and Sarabi looked at both children with curiosity.

It wasn't often that Kopa planned out something without telling anyone and Nala knew that meant either this was either a big surprise, or her son was hiding something. Sarabi knew this as well and shared Nala's concern for her grandson's welfare, still, she knew that cubs would be cubs and that this was most likely a harmless little venture. Kicheko had not been himself lately, so maybe having Kopa take him out to do… whatever it is he had planned wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Well…" Nala pondered, thinking about what Kopa just told her, "It's fine with me as long as someone goes with you. I don't want-"

"Don't worry, Mom." Kopa quickly cut her off, "We're just going near the elephants."

"Oh, Nala." Sarabi breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, "The elephants don't live too far away from Pride Rock, and I'm sure Aminifu would be delighted to see Kopa and Kicheko again. You know how he is with children."

"Oh believe me," Nala smiled as she remembered how the old pachyderm fawned over Kopa and Kicheko when they were very little, "I know." Kopa's ears perked up when he heard the happy tone in his mother's voice. She was actually ok with this. This was going to be great!

"So you'll let us go?" Kopa eagerly asked. Nala looked down at her children once more before coming to a conclusion. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she nodded and told them, "It's alright with me."

"Yahoo!" Kopa shouted with glee, "Don't worry, Mom. We'll be ok." he then began nudging his brother along with his nose."

"H-Hey!" Kicheko exclaimed as he felt Kopa start pusing him from behind. It didn't help that he was now as blind as a bat while Kopa was pushing him forwards. For all he knew, Kopa was about to push him off a cliff, given his terrible sense of direction. His fall down Pride Rock was proof of that.

"Come on, K." Kopa said as he began pushing his brother along, "The sooner I show you the surprise, the sooner we can get back in time for dinner."

"Oh that's right!" Kicheko exclaimed again, only it was now in a sad tone, "Mom just got back from the hunt! Aw man… now I'm blindfolded, in pain, and hungry." Nala just let out an amused chuckle as she watched her son nudge the blindfolded pup along, all the while hearing him moan and whine about how he was missing out on getting first dibs from today's kill.

"Stay safe, you two!" Nala called out to her boys, "And don't forget to be back before sundown!"

"We won't be gone long!" Kopa called back, "By Mom! By Grandma!" Nala and Sarabi watched as the two slowly headed out towards their destination. On occasion, Kicheko would trip and fall to the ground and when he did Kopa would help him back up before once again leading him blindly to wherever it is they were going. It reminded Nala of when she and Simba would go out on adventures in the Pride Lands, back during their cub years. They would always go on some daring mission to do a good deed in the Pride Lands, or team up on the other cubs whenever they played in groups, or they would simply pretend to be off in some far away land and they would have to find their way back home to Pride Rock. No matter what they did, they did it together as a team… as friends.

"Don't worry about them, Nala." Sarabi comforted her, seeing as she still kept her eyes fixed on the children, who were now two small specs in the distance, "Kopa is a bright boy. I'm sure he and Kicheko will be fine around the elephants."

"It's… not them I'm worried about." Nala shook her head before looking back at her mother in-law, "The truth is, I'm worried about Simba."

"Simba?" Sarabi repeated, "But whatever for, dear? He's been doing a fantastic job running the kingdom so far."

"But he's doing it all alone." Nala countered, which earned a surprised look from Sarabi. Nala didn't want to make the retired queen feel bad about her decisions, but she at least had to speak her mind about the matter to show her why she felt this way about it. Taking a deep breath, Nala exhaled and finally explained to her what was on her mind: "I know you just want Simba to be comfortable with running the kingdom. I get that. Still… he may be the new Lion King, but I'm still his queen and I want to help him with this."

"Nala…" Sarabi sighed, but Nala just kept on speaking.

"You always taught me a king was nothing without his queen. She would be there whenever he needed her, and right now I think he needs me Sarabi… more than ever. Ever since we were cubs we always did things together. Why would that change now? He may be king but as queen I also have other responsibilities to uphold besides leading the hunting party."

"Nala…" Sarabi spoke gently with a smile on her face. Still, Nala continued to rant.

"And what of the herds? Simba has been going nonstop trying to keep order all on his own without help from you, Zazu, or myself. It's just insane! Not even Mufasa could run the Pride Lands on his own when he ruled. You told me how you were there whenever he needed you the most, and right now I know Simba needs help before he drives himself into the ground!"

"Nala, you're right."

"Furthermore with having the threat of the- wait…" Nala then just realized Sarabi said something, but she had to make sure she wasn't hearing things, "I'm sorry?"

"I said you're right, Nala." Sarabi sighed, understanding all that she told her; well... the first part at least. She didn't quite catch the rest. She then sat next to Nala before turning her gaze once again to the land before her. All that she saw before her, and beyond, was her son's responsibility and she knew he could not do it alone. Nala's words rung true in her heart, yet still, she was hesitant to fully accept them.

It was the way of a mother to worry over her child. She had told this to Nala several times during her first few weeks with Kopa. Now… it was time for the old lioness to start heeding her own advice. Looking back at the one lioness she had come to love like her own daughter, she said, "I know it must have been difficult for you when I asked you to not interfere with affairs that concerned the Pride Lands. Never did I intend for it to discourage you in any way."

"What… no." She put her paw on Sarabi's shoulder and tried to reassure her, "I understand why you did it. I've spent years learning from you while Simba has been king for only a short time. He needed to grow and do things on his own."

"Yet now I see that is no longer the case." Sarabi sniffed, trying to keep her composure while talking on this matter. She had to face the facts; her son was all grown up. She could not coddle him and teach him like a child learning his first steps on his own. Simba needed help… real help, and Nala was the one to give it. Straightening up, she said, "My son still has a long way to go. He needs to learn how to run the kingdom properly, yet at the same time, his training should not deny you your birthright, my dear. After all, you were both born and raised to rule over these lands, and just like you said: even Mufasa couldn't do it all on his own." Hearing Sarabi say that brought a smile to Nala's face. If she was saying that she was right on the matter then that meant…

"So…" Nala began like and eager cub waiting on her mother's approval. Sarabi knew where this conversation was headed so she decided to keep it brief.

"Go on." she said while gesturing towards the direction of Big Springs with her head, "I'm sure my son would be happy to use the help." Upon hearing this, Nala threw herself onto Sarabi, saying, "Thank you so much!" before sprinting out towards Big Springs. Sarabi watched as the queen ran across the savannah towards her king. She couldn't help but smile at Nala's enthusiasm. Even though she had not had experience in the field like Simba did, she still had years of tutoring and royal lessons to lean on. Yes… she was sure Nala would be an extremely big help to Simba.

'

* * *

'

"Alright…" Simba groaned as he stood on the side of the pond's edge and stared out at the vast herd of antelope that stood in the water and stared back at him, "I'm going to say this one last time… you're time in the water is up and now you have to get out for the hippos. It's their turn to have control over Big Springs. So, leave!"

This day has been nothing but a pain in the tail for Simba. It started with the leader of the hippos coming to him early in the morning and telling him that their home at Big Springs was overrun with antelope. Simba figured that he would just go there, settle the dispute, and the come back home and get some good need rest, yet now it was way past noon and the antelope were still in Big Springs! Simba and the leader of the hippos, a large bull who went by the name Basi, were now standing at the edge of Big Springs while the entire antelope herd stood in the shallow part of the pond. They simply watched as their leader continued to speak with the Lion King and hippo leader.

"You heard the king." Basi spoke up. As he addressed them, he spoke in a deep voice, yet it held a soft, friendly tone to it, "You and your herd need to leave. There isn't enough water to go around yet and my hippos, as well as the other members of the Pride Lands, need to get out of this heat." Though the hippo's word had wisdom, it was met with a depressed sigh from the Sable antelope's leader.

"All day…" the antelope groaned, having a heavy melancholy tone in his voice, "You've done nothing but harass me and my herd. Ever since you got here it's been, 'Get out of the water. You can't stay here. The others need to get in.' well me and my herd are hot, so we are not moving from this spot until we have cooled off."

"You've been in the water since this morning!" Simba exclaimed, wondering how something so simple was somehow so hard for these animals to understand. This is how it's been all day. Simba and Basi would say something reasonable, the antelope leader says there being unreasonable, and the conversation keeps on going around in a circle. The entire ordeal was pushing Simba to his breaking point. Five days he had to put up with unruly and selfish animals, but the antelope were by far the worst of them all. It was like any brains they had were shot right up their heads and out of their curved antlers. It was ridiculous.

The antelope leader, a young buck named Bupu, was absolutely appalled by Simba's sudden outburst and scoffed, "Such a rude tone! Why should we even listen to a carnivore such as you? Giving us orders like that… what are you, some kind of king?"

"I am the King!" Simba all but exclaimed in both weariness and exhaustion. Was this antelope serious? Surly after hearing something so stupid the others in his herd had to listen to Simba… right? They can't all be that dense. Unfortunately, to Simba's dismay, the rest of the herd began letting out aggravated bleats and grunts as they all suddenly just laid back down in the water of Big Springs and completely ignored Simba and Basi.

"Huh…" Simba's eye twitched and he gritted is teeth in frustration as he watched the entire herd just go back to what they were doing earlier for what was now the 8th time today. These antelope were by far the most stubborn, most selfish, most dimwitted animals he ever had the misfortune of meeting! Not knowing what else to do, he flopped on the ground and let out an aggravated groan. He knew that there was absolutely nothing in the entire Pride Lands that would get these stubborn dear to move willingly from Big Springs.

"Your highness?" Basi sighed, seeing that Simba was practically all drained from this venture. He knew that running an entire kingdom alone wasn't easy, so being the kindhearted soul that he was, he offered, "Don't worry. I and my hippos will find some other source of water in the Pride Lands." Truly, he did not want to burden the young king with his problems. He had heard about the ordeal Simba went through with Scar's evil guard as well as the constant meetings that he had to attend to while Zazu was away. At this point the old hippo knew the lad was spent. Not even Mufasa could stand to go five days straight without repercussions.

"Basi…" Simba sighed, knowing very well that Basi was just trying to help him out. He appreciated it, but he really didn't want to give up on the hippo's plight. "You don't have to do that. I'll find a way."

"How?" Basi replied. They had been at this for hours with no luck. What could possible get these stubborn animals to move if not diplomacy?

"Well…" Simba sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, "We could always let the crocs in the water before you guys. I'm sure they won't mind the antelope." This suggestion caused Basi to bellow a laugh in response. He did not know whether or not Simba was being serious about the matter, but picturing the antelope galloping out of the water, being chased by crocodiles, seemed funny to the old hippo. Though the idea had merit, it still wouldn't work. After all, the crocodiles haven't returned to the Pride Lands yet.

"I appreciate the creativity, my king, but it's alright." Basi sighed. He honestly didn't want to do this but what choice did he have? He had to put his family first in this matter. Just like Simba he wished the antelope would be reasonable yet, it seems as though fate would not be so kind to them today, so at least he would try and give the Lion King some manner of relief. "I'm sure my family will be able to find some-"

"Simba!" Simba's ears perked up as he recognized the voice calling out his name. He and Basi looked up to see non other than Nala sprinting towards them both.

"Nala?" Simba asked in a surprised tone as his mate approached him, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might need some help." Nala stated, "You've been gone all day. Is everything alright?" She had to ask the question to sound sincere, but one look at Simba told her that everything was far from alright. He looked absolutely exhausted. His mane was filled with nots and loose hairs and his eyes had large dark rings underneath them. Seeing him like this made Nala wish she had come to help him sooner.

"I wish that were the case, Nala." Basi sighed, "But these darn antelope are making things difficult." Nala looked back at the herd as they continued to wade in the water, bleating and grunting as they did so. Nala remembered Sarabi teaching her about diplomacy with certain species, one of them was the antelope. They were some of the most hardheaded species that lived in the Pride Lands. Yet, despite this, Nala had an idea on how they could be persuaded to move.

"Don't worry, guys." Nala spoke up, "I'll take it from here." This earned a smile from Basi, but when Simba heard what Nala said he started laughing.

"Don't even bother, Nala." Simba shook his head at his mate, ignoring the fact that she was now frowning at him, "Nothing will get these guys to move. I've tried everything." Nala narrowed her eyes at Simba for a moment. Had he worked for so long by himself that he had forgotten that she also knew a thing or two about running the Pride Lands?

"Well then," Nala said with a huff as she turned her back on her mate, "If you tried everything then I don't see any need for me to help you."

"N-Nala, wait!" Simba exclaimed when he saw she was about to leave. Nala stopped for a moment before looking back at Simba. This time her frown was replaced with a sly smile. Simba huffed when he saw that confident look she had. He knew she wouldn't' have it for long once she met Bupu. He knew she wasn't going to get through to them, but at this point, what did he have to lose? Rolling his eyes he answered, "Fine. Be my guest."

"Don't worry dear," Nala winked at Simba, "This won't take long." Giving her mate a curt nod, Nala then turned and walked towards the herd. Simba smiled and rested his head on his paw as he watched his headstrong queen walk towards what he considered to be a nightmare. No matter how this turned out, this was going to be fun to watch.

When Bupu saw Nala approach, he let out an annoyed sigh before lifting his head out of the water. These cats just don't know when to quit.

"Oh… great… another one of you." he moaned, "Let me guess, you hear to tell us to leave to?"

"Why of course not." Nala said in a sweet gentle tone. This caused Bupu, Basi, and even Simba to look at Nala in shock. She didn't want them to leave? Just what was Nala up to?

"Really?" Bupu asked, picking his head and neck fully out of the water so that he could get eye to eye with the lioness, "You're not going to run us off?"

"Why would I ever…" Nala gushed as she spoke to the antelope in a tone that was soft and sympathetic, "Want to drive off such beautiful animal such as yourself out of Big Springs? You all much be so exhausted from the heat we've been having here in the Pride Lands."

"Finally!" Bupu let out a sigh of relief as a smile appeared on his long snout, "Someone who actually cares! I'm sorry if I was rude to you miss… er…"

"Nala." She greeted, "I'm Nala, Queen of the Pride Lands."

"A queen?" Bupu asked in aw, "No wonder you have such manners."

"Yes… well…" Nala blushed a bit at the antelope's complement, but went straight back to business, "Enough about me, I'd like to know your name."

"I'm Bupu." The antelope bowed, "Leader of my herd."

"Oh!" Nala gasped, acting like this was news to her, "So you are the brave and mighty antelope leader I've heard so much about. It's an honor."

"Oh my…" This made the antelope give out a snort laugh as Nala showered him with complements. What was once a stern and ridged looking deer was now as docile, and sweet like a little fawn. Nala knew she had him right where she wanted him, and now was where the fun begins.

"Actually, Bupu…" Nala said, her voice now taking a more, timid tone, "I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Oh?" the antelope raised his black eyebrow when he heard this, "and what might I do for you, your majesty?"

"Well…" Nala began slowly, "It's very hot out today, and… many of the animals are really exhausted from the heat, as I'm sure you are well aware."

"Yes…" Bupu nodded, gazing up at the sky, "It is rather hot today." This was it, Nala had to make this count.

"I was wondering… if it isn't so much of a bother that is… if you and your herd could maybe let some of the other animals use Big Springs? Just for a day or two and then you can go back to cooling off…" before Bupu could even say anything, however, Nala suddenly sighed and shook her head before confessing, "I'm sorry. I should have known such a thing was too much to ask for. Forget I said anything." She then got up to walk away when-

"Wait!" Bupu called out before Nala could walk away. She looked back to see that the antelope had now fully gotten out of the water and came onto dry land and approached her. He then bowed before her and said, "My queen… all you had to do was ask. I understand your worries and I'll make sure that me and my herd will relinquish our hold of Big Springs so that the others can share in the water. If there is anything else then please, just ask." Upon hearing this, Nala walked up to Bupu and said, "Oh thank you so much! You have no idea how happy you just made me!" she then wrapped her arms around his neck, which caused the antelope leader to wag his ears and let out a happy bleat.

On the sidelines, Simba sat there, gawking at what just took place before him. Hours of work, going back and forth between these deer and all he had to do was simply ask them to move?! The entire concept of it caused Basi to start letting out bellowing sounds of laughter. The hippo laughed so hard that he started rolling onto his back and waving his legs in the air. Simba however didn't know whether he himself should laugh… or cry.

"H-H-How…" gasped as he watched the herd start to leave the water and head back to their territory, "Just… how?"

"Ah… Simba." Basi sighed as he composed himself and got to his feet, "This reminds me of something Mufasa told me back during his rule."

"And…" Simba slowly looked back at the hippo, still trying to take in all that had just happened, "What might that be?" Basi smiled as he recalled the memory.

"He told me… 'Basi, Don't ever doubt that something can or can't happen. If you live long enough, you'll see everything.'" This caused Simba's shocked expression to slowly contort into a small smile, before he himself began laughing at the concept. Truly… there were no wiser words that could be used to describe this moment.

"Now what's so funny?" Nala asked as she walked back over to her mate and the hippo leader. They noticed Nala approaching them with a curious look in her eye. Simba at first thought about being frustrated with himself for not trying something so simple… yet the mere thought of holding a grudge against Nala for showing him this was foolish. She just saved him and Basi the humiliation of returning to their families and explaining why a bunch of antelope were still in Big Springs.

"Well… Nala…" Simba said between chuckles, "It's just… I don't know how you did it." This earned a sly smile from Nala as she answered him, "You weren't the only one who was born for this job, you know? Or have you forgotten that we were betrothed?"

"Trust me," Simba replied as he walked up beside his mate and nuzzled her head with his, "Every day I wake up by you, I'm reminded of that."

"Plus…" Nala added, "Your mother is a good teacher."

"Oh believe me, I know." Simba said before letting out a loud yawn, "But right now… I think I need some sleep." That was the next thing Nala was going to suggest. Now that the antelope had been dealt with, the next thing Simba needed was a nice, long, nap… and possible some grooming for his mane. It was a mess. Hearing that the king and queen needed some time alone to rest, Basi decided to make a suggestion.

"You know…" Simba and Nala turned to the old hippo as he spoke, "If you want to save yourselves a walk all the way back to Pride Rock, there is a small cave not too far away from here. It's very secluded so you won't have to worry about any animals coming around and waking you up." This earned a smile from Nala and another yawn from Simba.

"I think Simba will appreciate that." Nala nodded her head, "Thank you again, Basi."

"Oh, it was my pleasure madam." Basi bowed back, "Now get that boy some sleep. He's earned it after everything Bupu put him though."

"And what about you?" Nala asked. Basi merely smiled and answered, "Well… since Big Springs is now open to all, I'll gather the rest of my hippos and we'll hop right on it. Also, don't worry about coming back to deal with any of the other herds from now on. I'll take care of all of that personally from here on out."

"Oh come now, Basi." Nala reasoned, "There is no need for that. If you need anything-"

"I'll let you know if I need help." Basi explained, "But know that before Scar came, it was the job of the hippos to watch over the watering holes and water lanes of the Pride Lands. Now that water is coming back, I must take up that role again; the same way you must now take up your role as queen." That's right. Nala almost forgot about how the hippos ran all the water sources in the Pride Lands. It had been so long since such a thing was needed. Now that the herds were coming back, Basi's work would be a big help to both her and Simba's rule.

"Thank you again, old friend." Simba said as his eyelids started to droop, and his mind started to become foggy. He had to say the farewell his mother taught him. "May your waterhole… never… dry…" He just didn't have it in him to finish it.

"Ok now, you." Nala stated as if she was Simba's mother, "Time to get you some much needed rest." Though Simba was still awake, he dreaily leaned on Nala as she began to walk him towards the den Basi told them about.

"Stay safe you two!" Basi called out to them as he watched them walk away, "And come back and visit us again sometime! I'd like to introduce you all to my boy!" having said that, the old hippo began walking in the opposite direction, making his way back to his family to let them know: Big Springs was open to all. Still, the day was far from over.

'

* * *

'

"Dude, seriously, where are you taking me?" Kicheko asked for what was now the 6th time.

"To a special place. You'll see." was Kopa's reply as he nudged Kicheko along.

Since they started their walk from Pride Rock, Kicheko had tripped over objects, stubbed his paw on pebbles and even hit his head over a low branch in the short period of time Kopa had led him to wherever it was they were going. Needless, to say, that was the last time Kicheko would let Kopa lead him anywhere… ever.

"This had better be worth it." Kicheko groaned as he once again stubbed his paw on what felt like another small pebble.

"Don't worry, bro." Kopa assured his friend, "When have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Remember the time with the aardvark, three ostriches, and Dad?" Kicheko replied smugly.

"That was ONE time!" Kopa growled, not wanting to be reminded of that fiasco.

"Exactly. It was that _one_ time, and I'd rather not make it two."

"Trust me K," Kopa replied as he led his brother down a small slope. "This time is totally different."

As they walked, Kicheko noticed the ground started to feel different. The once soft grass was now a hard dusty floor; and the sweet smell of the savannah plains was replaced by a smell of old flesh and bones. Already the pup was uncomfortable not being able to see where he was, but now, his fear and anxiety were really getting to him.

"Kopa…" he moaned, his ears lying flat against his head, "You said you were taking me somewhere to cheer me up right?"

"Yep," the young prince replied happily, "In fact, we are here!" That was not something Kicheko wanted to hear.

Before the hyena could protest, Kopa went behind him and ripped the blindfold off. Shaking his head, Kicheko looked around at his surroundings and instantly cringed at the sight. The ground around them were littered with bones of massive skulls and tusks from long dead elephants. As far as the eye could see there were skeletons and geysers, and just to the north their appeared to be a cavern filled with a strange green mist. It didn't take a genius to figure out where they were and why they were here.

"Kopa…" Kicheko said in a low angry voice, "Where... are... we?"

"Surprise!" Kopa exclaimed thinking that his friend would be happy, but instead he saw that he seemed upset, _r_ _eally_ upset. "What's wrong, K?"

"What's wrong?!" Kicheko practically screamed. How could he be so calm? Didn't he know where they were? "We're in the Elephant Graveyard!"

 **End of Chapter 13**

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 **Cliffhanger! Hanging from a cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiif! and that's why it's called Cliffhangeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!**

 **I know, I'm mean by doing this.**

 **:}**

 **New characters, new scenes, Nala making an impression on the Pride Lands, what's could be better than that?**

 **Hope you all enjoyed and if you did then as always, please leave a review and follow the story to know what happens next.**

 **Thank you again for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Finally! The chapter is up!**

 **College Tests, Hurricane Irma, and writer's block will not keep this story down!**

 **As usual, thank you all for following and reading my content and please either write a review or send me a PM. I respond to all of my views.**

 **Once again, Shout out to Guest for the encouraging words, Incarnate Firefly for giving insight and advice as you read through my story, and Money100 and Gracekim1 for staying consistent. **

**Already this story has gotten over 5k views and over 20 favorites and followers, and this is just my first story. I can't wait to see how it will be as we continue on and I'm hoping that the 74 reviews so far will become 100. It's a dream, but it's my dream and I hope it happens one day.**

 **Now, This cliff hanger has gone on long enough. Let's see what Kopa has in store for our hyena OC friend.**

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 **Ch. 14 Out of Place Pup**

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"This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening."

Kopa watched from the side as his brother continued to pace back and forth, mumbling the same thing over and over again. The young prince just couldn't understand what was wrong. He thought Kicheko wanted this.

"Um…" Kopa began, not knowing what else to do or say, "Are you alright, Kicheko?"

"Am I alright?!" Kicheko shouted as he looked back at the one responsible for where he was now, "Of course I'm not alright!" he then started to pace back and forth again, not knowing what else to do. "You little liar! I thought you said that you were taking us to see Aminifu?"

"No…" Kopa said as he let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head with his paw. He knew his brother would hate him for this. "I said I was going to take you to see the elephants. I never said which. So technically I didn't lie about where we were going."

"Why you no good, dirty, double crossing…" Kicheko couldn't think of more words to say without using hyena slang. Being raised in a lion community it was all he really knew how to use. Ugh… lions. "Now I wish you actually did lead me off a cliff instead of here! Do you realize how much danger you just put us in?"

"Oh please." Kopa waved his paw dismissively at Kicheko's statement. "I know Dad said not to go here because it's dangerous, but he just worries too much, K. Grandma told me all about when Mom and Dad came here. They made it out ok when they were cubs. Why can't we?"

"Dad barely made it out alive!" Kicheko exclaimed, giving Kopa an annoyed look as he spoke, "and if it wasn't for Zazu getting Mufasa then they would have been dead and you wouldn't even be here!"

"Oh…" Kopa realized, starting to remember the rest of the story, "I guess I kind of missed that part when Grandma told me about it."

"Ugh!" Kicheko groaned, "You can be such an airhead sometimes!" Kicheko just didn't understand it. Why would Kopa lie to him about this? This wasn't like him to go out sneaking behind his parent's backs. Simba had made it-

That's when the realization of this situation hit Kicheko. He remembered a while back when Kopa asked if he could go to the land in the north, and Simba and Nala made it clear that he should never go there. Now he did exactly what Simba did when he was a cub and snuck off without telling anyone. He even went as far as to use his recent mood as an excuse to get him to come with him on this adventure. There was never a surprise, there was nothing here to cheer him up; all of this was an excuse to see what was out here!

Kopa used him… He used him for his own selfish gain!

Now feeling hurt and betrayed, Kicheko ran up to Kopa and pounced on him, pinning him to the ground and snarled in his face: "You lied about where we were going all to satisfy your selfish curiosity to see what was out here? I never thought you, Kopa of all people would stoop so low to get your way!"

"W-What?" Kopa was astonished by his brother pinning him to the floor, but more so by his sudden claim. True, he had wanted to come to this place for a while, but that wasn't the reason for him bringing Kicheko here. He never considered it that way. Looking up at his brother with a hurt expression on his face, Kopa explained, "K, I would never do that to you."

"Then tell me: why am I here?!" Kicheko barked in Kopa's face, "Is it because you didn't want to leave your 'wing man' behind?"

"N-No…" at this point Kopa started to tear up. Never had Kicheko raised his voice to him like that; nor accused him of such things. It broke the young princes' heart. "I…" he sniffed, "heard you mention back when we met Beba that you were the only hyena I knew. So… I… I figured you were sad since you were the only hyena in the Pride Lands." Kicheko's scowl slowly began to soften as Kopa continued to explain his true intentions to his brother, "I thought I could bring you here, where the other hyenas lived, a-and you would make friends with them since… since… you don't like hanging out with me anymore." Kopa couldn't keep his emotions in check any longer and he began to cry.

All Kicheko could do was look at his brother, wide-eyed, dumbfounded and touched by what Kopa told him. He did all of this for him; truly? All because he thought he felt out of place in the Pride Lands? Now it was Kicheko's turn to feel terrible for thinking the way he did. Though this didn't make the situation ok… or any less dangerous, it showed that Kopa was still his loving adoptive brother who cared dearly for him. He was a fool to think otherwise.

Berating himself mentally for jumping to such a harsh conclusion, Kicheko got off of Kopa and made an attempt to make things right.

"Kopa…" Kicheko soothed, trying to calm down the crying cub. "You… did this… for me?" Kopa nodded as he looked at Kicheko with a tearstained face.

"I'm so sorry." Kicheko apologized, "I didn't mean to-"

"Wow! You're amazing!"

Kicheko's ears perked up and he gritted his teeth when he heard an unknown voice coming from behind him. He looked back and was absolutely astounded and terrified by what he saw. Standing there, at the edge of a mist cloud, was another hyena pup… and… it looked exactly like him! Grant it, the pup had different patterned spots, had a smaller body and a different hairstyle… but… it was an actual hyena!

"Uh!" Kicheko gasped when he saw the pup looking at him curiously. What was he going to do?! This was a hyena, a savage killing machine! One false move and he and his brother were mincemeat! Well… Kopa would be at least. Kicheko didn't know if hyenas actually practiced cannibalism, but he wouldn't put it past them!

"You brought down a lion all on your own!" the pup exclaimed, "You even got him to cry and beg for mercy. How did you do that?"

"I… uh… well…" Kicheko was utterly speechless. By the tone of the pup's voice Kicheko realized it was a girl; and she thought that he and Kopa were… fighting? This was bad. This was really, really… wait… Kicheko thought about that idea for a moment. If this pup actually thought Kopa was against him then… they might have a chance to get out of this mess.

"Uh… that's right!" Kicheko exclaimed, putting on a triumphant looking expression before looking back his brother, "You thought you could best me you foolish lion?"

"What?" Kopa wiped his eyes and didn't really understand what his brother was doing, "K, what are you-"

"Thought you could get away from me that easily did you?" Kicheko said in a triumphant tone. He then got off of Kopa and let the young cub up, "Try something like that again and I'll… I'll…" Kicheko was running out of words to say. He didn't work well under pressure! "Well… it's so bad you don't even want to know what I'll do to you. You got that?"

"Wow!" the pup exclaimed in awe. Kopa, however, was still in the dark as to what was going on. One moment his brother was yelling at him and making him feel bad and now he was… holding him hostage?

"Look," Kopa sighed, now feeling more composed then he was before, "I'm sorry about lying to you but I was just trying to-"

"Play along." Kicheko whispered in his ear, "If this hyena learns that I'm not your enemy then she'll kill us both!" Kopa looked back at the hyena behind Kicheko then back at his brother a couple of times. This time, it was Kopa's turn to think his brother had lost his mind. She was just a pup, no older than they were. What could she possibly do?

"Bro…" Kopa whispered back, "I think you may be overreacting a bit."

"You're overreacting a bit!" Kicheko seethed in reply. It was official: Kicheko was panicking. Kopa didn't blame him though. This was his first time ever meeting another hyena; come to think of it… it was his first time to. Still, the prince couldn't understand why Kicheko wanted to go home so soon.

"I thought this was what you wanted." Kopa replied as he noticed as the pup slowly began to approach Kicheko from behind. His brother didn't notice though. "Didn't you want to meet other hyenas?"

"That wasn't the reason I was-" Kicheko groaned. This was not the place and time to talk to Kopa about this, "Look, I'll explain later but right now we need to get out of here! If she figures out that we're from the Pride Lands then we're both-"

"The Pride Lands, eh?"

Kicheko let out a surprised yelp and darted behind Kopa, only to see the pup had now come up behind him. She was now giving him and Kopa sly smiles, which made Kicheko a bit unnerved.

"Whaaaaa?" Kicheko laughed, trying to sound genuine as he stepped back out from behind Kopa, "The Pride Lands? Pffft! I didn't say that? I meant um… back to the… Pack Lands. Yeah! It's a place that's… Far… far… away from here. Not that lion infested Pride Lands. I mean, who would ever want to go there, am I right?" Kicheko noticed as he talked that the pup was giving him a look that showed him that she wasn't buying it for one second.

"You're not a very good liar. You know that right?" the pup said. Kicheko's face turned pale. This wasn't good…

"H-Hey!" Kicheko replied, "Why would you think I would lie to a fellow hyena?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, stilling keeping that same sly expression on her face, "But after hearing everything you said about playing along so that I don't kill you; kind of gives it away that you're not from around here." She heard them?! How?!

 _This wasn't good! This wasn't good!_ Kicheko thought to himself. _She's on to me! To us! We have to make a break for it. It's the only way to-_

"So… where are you really from?" the pup asked.

"You'll never get the truth out of me!" Kicheko growled as he took a defensive position and showed his teeth, causing the pup to step back in shock for a moment. If he was going down, at least he'll be going down fighting! "You'll have to kill us before I ever give-"

"We're from the Pride Lands." said Kopa. Kicheko groaned and covered his face with his paw. Sometimes… he wondered how Kopa could be so clueless.

"Dude!" he growled at Kopa, "Don't tell her that! She's a complete stranger!"

"Oh, right." Kopa realized what Kicheko meant so he turned back to the girl hyena and bowed his head. "I'm Kopa. Nice to meet you." At this point, Kicheko gave up. There was no point in prolonging the inevitable. If this pup wanted to end them then there was nothing stopping her. Him and Kopa should just save her the trouble and roll over and show their necks for her to slice. Goodbye cruel world; hello Circle of Life.

"Oh… well nice to meet you." The hyena hesitantly replied, not knowing how to respond the Kopa's polite gesture. This was probably the weirdest thing she had ever encountered in the graveyard. A polite lion cub and a jittery hyena pup were just hanging out by the border for no apparent reason. The situation was more interesting then strange, to say the least.

"Wait…" Kicheko had to make sure he heard her right, "So… you aren't going to eat us?" The pup looked questioningly at Kicheko for a moment before busting out laughing. Kicheko's ears perked and his eyes widened when he heard her laugh. It… was like the way he laughed, in spurts and with a jolly tone. Everyone else in the Pride Lands told him he had a weird laugh but… to this girl it just seemed natural. Despite all of those things, the one thing that stood out to most to Kicheko was for some reason her laugh sounded… nicer? Was that the right word for it?

"Eat you?" the pup asked to make sure she heard Kicheko right, "Why on earth would you think I would eat you?"

"Well…" Kicheko began, not knowing how to explain the concept, "You're… I mean… a hyena." This answer made the pup look at Kicheko with confusion.

"Um, hello!" she responded, sounding a bit offended by Kicheko, "Have you looked at your reflection lately?"

"I know, I know, I'm also a hyena. But… I mean… I thought since you live in the graveyard you would be… less picky about what you eat."

"We may be scavengers," the pup added, "But were not barbaric. Who told you that we eat everything we see?"

"I… just assumed…" Kicheko said, feeling his cheeks turn red as he admitted his assumption. He figured with all the stories Simba had told them that hyenas would be cruel, selfish… vicious. Yet, seeing this pup now and how she acted towards both him and Kopa made Kicheko feel a bit calmer… and embarrassed.

"It was an honest mistake." Both Kicheko and the pup looked back to see Kopa walk up next to them and simply smile. This earned a questioning look from the other pups as the cub addressed them, "Since we got off on the wrong paw, why don't we start over? I'm Kopa and this is Kicheko."

"H-Hey…" Kicheko greeted meekly. The other hyena looked at Kopa with curious expressions before following along.

"Ok then… Kopa." the pup stated, "I'm Jasiri."

"Pleasure to meet you." Kopa smiled back, "Sorry about before, but Kicheko can jump to conclusions sometimes."

"I do not!" Kicheko said, trying to defend himself, but this earned a laugh from Jasiri.

"Honestly I'm surprised that you weren't the one acting like that." Jasiri stated to Kopa, "I thought lions hated us?"

"Oh trust me, they do." Kicheko sighed, "With a passion. I'm an exception since his family took me in when I was little." Upon hearing this, Jasiri looked back at Kopa with a surprised look on her face. Part of her was wondering if Kicheko was just trying to crack a joke.

"Is he serious?" She asked.

"Sure is." Kopa gave a happy nod, to which Jasiri laid her ears back and took a step back from the lion cub.

"So… you hate hyenas too?" she asked.

"No… I don't hate hyenas. My Dad doesn't like them, but Kicheko here is my bro." Kopa stated before pulling Kicheko in for a side hug, "My parents took him in after he was abandoned by some hyenas a while back."

"And I've been stuck with them ever since." Kicheko said sarcastically, which earned a laugh from Kopa as he began ruffling Kicheko's hair.

Jasiri watched as they goofed off and played around. This was something she was not expecting to find. A lion and hyena… together? Her family wouldn't believe her if she told them.

"Wow…" she said, not knowing what else to say, "That's… uh… unique."

"Unique, how?" Kopa asked, "Don't hyenas adopt other kids?"

"It's not that." Jasiri stated, "I mean… you're parents took him in… and you get along! How does that work?" Kopa was about to answer her, until…

"Jasiri!" Jasiri's ears perked up as she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the mist behind her, "Jasiri where are you?"

"Oh no!" Jasiri exclaimed as she looked back at Kicheko and Kopa. Someone from her pack was nearby.

"What is it?" Kopa asked, noticing Jasiri's worried look.

"My sister!" Jasiri wordily said. She herself wasn't a friend of any lion, but Kopa was different… and so was Kicheko. This hyena didn't act like the other pups in her pack, and she didn't know how the others would react if they found them here. Yet there was something else that worried her. "I'm not allowed to be near the border." She said out loud to herself, "How did she even-" That's when she realized something. Jasiri let out a groan and said, "That fur-brained brother of mine must have told her! Ugh! When I get my paws on him…"

"Um… so I hope your sister is as nice as you…" Kicheko asked in a hopeful tone as he watched Jasiri. This earned a surprised look from Jasisi. She knew that Kicheko was probably being sarcastic, but her family was no joke.

"She can't see either of you here!" she exclaimed. Before either of them could react, Jasiri quickly walked up to them and started pushing them along. "Especially you, Kopa!" as she pushed them, they began to wonder what was going on.

"H-Hey!" Kopa began, "Who are you talking- Aaargh!" suddenly, both Kopa and Kicheko were pushed over a small ledge and landed into a pile of bones, which completely engulfed them.

"Just stay put and be quiet." Jasiri called out as she looked over the ledge, "I'll come back and get you when it's safe." Having said that, Jasiri's head disappeared out of site, leaving both lion and hyena in weird positions while they were underneath a pile of bones. This day just kept on getting stranger and stranger.

"Well Kicheko…" Kopa scoffed at his brother, "You said wanted to be led off of a cliff. Happy now?"

"Shut up…" grumbled Kicheko as he remained under the pile of bones. Despite being blindfolded, put in a life threatening situation, and being pushed off of a cliff into a pile of old rotting animal bones… he was actually having fun. He still couldn't get over the fact of how similar he and Jasiri looked. She was actually a hyena, and she didn't appear to be anything like Simba described. It was… nice to know he wasn't the only one.

As Jasiri ran back to the edge of the mist, a figure of a slightly larger pup emerged from it.

"Jasiri! There you are!" The older pup exclaimed when she saw Jasiri. Jasiri rolled her eyes when she saw the brown eyed hyena approach her.

"Madoa…" She groaned, "What are you doing out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Madoa replied, giving her sister a stern glare, "You know how Mother feels about you going near the borders. It's a good thing I found you before she did."

"Well I… wait…" Jasiri realized something, "Everyone's out looking for me?"

"Not yet." Madoa replied, "But it won't be like that for long. We better get back before 'you know who' rats us out." Her sister was right. If there was one thing Jasiri hated more than being caught, it was being caught because of her stupid brother not being able to keep his trap shut. Madoa was the more loyal between the two. She could at least keep a secret, however, if her brother and sister knew that she snuck out to the border again, then it wouldn't be long until the rest of the pack would realize it as well.

"Just once…" Jasiri sighed as she sat down, "Just once I'd like a quiet moment to myself without Mother and Father causing a riot over where I am. Is that too much to ask?"

"Afraid so." Madoa nodded to her sister, "Now come on. Let's go." Madoa ran ahead for a second before noticing Jasiri wasn't following. The young pup just sat on the hard stone floor with her ears laid back and her deep blue eyes staring gloomily at the ground.

"Jasiri…" Madoa sighed as she slowly walked back to her sister, "I know you want to know what's out there… but… is it really worth getting in trouble over?"

"Maybe it is!" Jasiri snapped, causing Madoa to step back in surprise, "Anything is better than this place! I mean… aren't you tired of waiting to see if Mom and Dad find food? Don't you want to at least go one day without worrying about going hungry? I know I do! I just… want something better then what we have right now, Madoa. Why can't we just go to a better place?" There was a moment of silence as Madoa watched her sister in surprise. She knew Jasiri still had a lot to learn about the ways of the world; she herself still had much to learn. But this was not the time to go out and do such things. Right now… their family was all that mattered.

"Jasiri…" Madoa began, "I know you want a better life… we all do… but right now we have to make do with what we've got. I'm… just trying to look out for you, sis. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I know…" Jasiri sighed. She knew Madoa meant well and that it probably wasn't right for her to yell at her sister like that… but still… "I'm coming back home. I just… need to think about some things." Madoa just looked at Jasiri skeptically for a moment, wondering whether or not her sister would actually keep her word on the matter.

After coming to a decision, she sighed and said, "Alright… but only for a minute or two. Any longer and I'll come back and drag you home myself." In saying that, Madoa casually walked back towards the mist and disappeared out of sight. With her sister gone, Jasiri just sat on her haunches and let out a long depressed sigh. She said she didn't really understand why they were all here… but she kind of knew… sort of…

Ever since their parents returned from an ordeal they had with the Pride Lands, a while back, no one was allowed to go near the borders of the Elephant Graveyard. All of this happened before Jasiri was born, so she didn't quite understand what had happened. Many in the pack whispered of a great terror that lurked beyond the Elephant Graveyard; a lion with a thirst for hyena blood and a desire to see their kind wiped out. Everyone feared to venture out to see, but Jasiri was different. She at first snuck out to see if this lion really existed, but she found something even better. Grass… sunlight… a cool breeze… these things were rarities in the Elephant Graveyard. There were all sorts of animals; birds, deer, zebra, and even other predators! They all looked so happy… so content. Everything looked so beautiful to Jasiri and she wondered why she and her family had to live in this armpit of Africa they called home. Though she was caught… and punished… she never forgot that amazing sight and she wanted so desperately to see it again. She knew she would probably never see any of these things again… but maybe…

"Surprise!"

Jasiri jumped and let out a frightened yelp when she heard the sudden voice behind her. She groaned when she saw it was just Kicheko. The pup let out a laugh as he watched Jasiri's face turn into a scowl. She had almost forgotten he was still here.

"Didn't know I was behind you, did ya?" Kicheko laughed.

"What was that for?" Jasiri asked in an agitated tone.

"You pushed me off a cliff into a pile of smelly bones," Kicheko countered, "Now we're even."

"Oh… boo-hoo." Jasiri mocked, "I didn't know a little fall would hurt the puppy's feelings. Would you like me to kiss your boo boo to make it better?"

"Actually I would!" Kicheko said, having the same mocking tone in his voice. He then turned around and stuck his tail in the air at Jasiri and said, "Kiss this, why don't you? Make it all better!" Jasiri at first was shocked by Kicheko's comeback, as well as having a hyena rear being pointed at her, but after a moment, both she and Kicheko began busting out laughing. It wasn't often she met someone who could take one of her jokes without becoming angry. The same went for Kicheko. He was glad to see someone who could take his snarky remarks and give just as much. He tried talking to Kopa that way once when they were younger… it ended with a crying cub and 2 days without dinner.

"Touché." Jasiri smiled as both pups began to settle down, "You know, Kicheko, you're pretty funny."

"Really?" Kicheko asked, which earned a nod from the other pup, "Well… you're funny too, Jasiri." Both pups remained silent for a moment, not knowing what else to say. This… was new for both of them. Finally, Kicheko decided to ask, "So… that was your sister?"

"Yeah…"

"She seemed nice." Kicheko said simply as he looked in the direction she left earlier, "Why didn't you want her to see us?" This earned a questioning look from Jasiri.

"You seriously asking that?" Kicheko nodded in response, not understanding what was going on. Jasiri sighed and explained, "My sister is fun… but she can also be a teacher's pet at times. If she saw you and Kopa here then she would have told my parents, and they don't like trespassers… especially lions."

"You know…" Kicheko began, "Ever since we first met, I've been curious about that."

"What do you mean?"

"The whole 'hyena against lion' thing. I mean… I know the lion's side of it, but why do the hyenas hate them? What is with that?" Jasiri was about to say something, but she found the words caught in her throat. She _knew_ why her family didn't like lions, but she never thought she had to actually explain it… especially to another hyena.

"Well…" she tried to find the words, "Their… their lions!"

"So?" Kicheko frowned, not really happy with that answer, "That's like saying you hate trees because they are trees."

"It's complicated…" Jasiri sighed, "My mom told me that-"

"Hey guys! What did I miss?" Kicheko and Jasiri turned back at the sound of Kopa's voice, but they instantly screamed and jumped back in shock when they saw him. Kicheko saw his brother's body, but a deer skull was where his head should have been. Only Kopa's eyes showed from the skull's eye sockets.

"What?" Kopa asked in a cheery tone, noticing their scarred faces, "Don't like the new look?" Realizing it was his brother under that skull, Kicheko frowned before approaching him.

"Dude!" Kicheko exclaimed, "What are you doing with that on your head?"

"We get thrown into a pile of bones and you expect me not to put one of these things on?" Kopa asked as if it was obvious, "You should try it guys! It's fun." Kicheko just rolled his eyes at his brother's idea. It looked stupid… but it did look kind of fun.

"That sounds fun!" Jasiri smiled, but then she instantly remembered something, causing her to frown, "But… I really need to get back to my pack. Mom and Dad will be wondering where I am." Though Kicheko wanted to object and say that it was alright if she stayed a bit longer, hearing Jasiri mention her parents made him think back to his and Kopa's back at Pride Rock.

"Now that you mention it," Kicheko reasoned out loud, "Our parents will probably be wondering where we are as well." Both Kicheko and Jasiri gave each other sorrowful looks, knowing that they would have to leave each other so soon. Kopa, however, wasn't as mindful.

"Oh come on guys," he coaxed as he still wore the skull on his head, "Just a few more minutes won't hurt. We can play 'guess that animal' with these things!"

"Of course Kopa…" Kicheko groaned as he rolled his eyes, "Only you would think about playing in a graveyard while no one back home knows where we are."

"So…" Kopa mused, "We going to play?"

"NO!" Kicheko exclaimed. This caused Jasiri to laugh again. Watching a hyena talk to a lion like that was so funny to her. She admittedly liked both Kicheko and Kopa. They made quite the interesting pair, plus they both claimed to be from the Pride Lands, a land Jasiri was very interested in. Surly that had many stories to tell from living there. Even though she couldn't go there… maybe they could tell her about it.

"Come on now!" Kicheko groaned as he started pushing his brother along, "Let's get out of here before everyone back home starts to worry about us."

"Fine, you have a point." Kopa admitted, "But we should come back and visit Jasiri sometime so that we can play the new game I made."

"Uhhh…" Kicheko looked back at Jasiri, who was now giving both him and Kopa a hopeful look. He didn't want to say no because he really wanted to see her again. At the same time, he didn't want to say yes because he didn't want to get Jasiri's hopes up. Yet before he could say anything, Kopa sealed his fate.

"Don't worry, Jasiri." Kopa called back to the pup, "We'll be back tonight to see how you are doing."

"We will?!" Kicheko exclaimed. His jaw dropped when he heard Kopa say that. What was he thinking? There was no way-

"Really?" Jasiri's ears perked up and her tail began to wag with glee. Kicheko didn't know what to do. He couldn't say no to her… that would just be wrong. He just met Jasiri. She's the first hyena he ever met… also… he liked her. She was fun.

"Y-Yeah… r-really." Kicheko found himself forcing the words out of his throat. Part of him was telling him that this was a bad idea, yet the other part was telling him it was worth it if he could see her again. "We'll… be back… tonight." There, he said it. There was no turning back now.

"That's great!" Jasiri smiled as she ran up and hugged them both, "I'll see you both tonight. Don't be late! See you then." Letting out one more burst of joyous laughter, she ran off and disappeared back into the mist.

Both lion cub and hyena pup stood still for a moment, just staring out at where their new friend had disappeared. Finally, Kopa decided to speak up.

"So…" Kopa said smoothly as he gave his brother a knowing look, "You liked the surprise?"

"You're impossible sometimes, you know that?" Kicheko raised his eyebrow at his brother as they both turned around and started heading back home. Despite the rather… shaky start, Kicheko was definitely glad that Kopa brought him here. Still, he wasn't completely better. Part of him was still down and depressed about something else. He could honestly care less if he hung out with hyenas or lions, but there was just one thing that still nagged at him; one feeling… one longing. He didn't expect Kopa to understand; he doubted his brother ever would. The fact that he tried, though, showed that he truly did care.

"Hey, Kopa."

"Hmm?" Kopa looked back at his brother, who was now giving him a sincere smile.

"Thanks." Kicheko said plainly, "For… for doing this."

"Any time, bro." Kopa smiled back.

"Look…" Kicheko sighed, "I didn't mean a single word I said before. I was just so angry that… I didn't think, and just know that love hanging out with you… more than you know. I would never get tired of being around you.

"Gee…" Kopa was touched by his brother's words. He actually thought that he wanted to be with someone else other than him at first. Knowing that he still wanted to hang out with him really gave Kopa peace. "Thanks, K. If there is anything you need, then just ask. I'm always here for you." He was glad to see that his brother was doing better than he was before. It wouldn't be long until Kicheko would be his old self again. Kopa was sure of it.

"Anything?" Kicheko mused, "In that case I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Kopa asked.

"Take that skull off your head already. You look ridiculous."

'

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'

It wasn't a long walk back home, but to Jasiri, it felt longer that it did since she had so much on her mind. She wanted to just get a glimps of the land by the borders, but instead she met two of the most unlikely pair of animals.

"A lion and hyena… friends?" she scoffed at the idea at first, thinking it was ridiculous, but after seeing those two, it made her curious. In all honesty, Kopa was the first lion she actually saw in person. Most of what she knew about the lions she had heard from her parents. They described them as selfish, heartless brutes who care more about power than anything else. Yet… Kopa didn't seem like that at all. Then there was Kicheko…

"There you are!" Jasiri picked her head up as she approached the entrance to the cavern, knowing who was there waiting for her. Three adult hyenas, as well as her sister, suddenly emerged from out of the darkness of the cavern and approached her. Just as she suspected, it was her parents as well as her uncle. Their worried expressions caught Jasiri's eye as they emerged out of the mist. She figured her parents would eventually discover her absence, but she was not expecting them to find her this soon.

"Jasiri!" the female exclaimed with relief when she saw the pup, but it immediately took on a more firm tone, "What did I tell you about going near the border?"

"You said I needed permission from an adult." Jasiri groaned as she repeated her mother's words for the millionth time, "But I did get permission before I came out here!"

"Oh really?" the female asked as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter, "and who told my daughter that it would be ok to go out on her own without supervision?"

"Uncle Ed!" Jasiri said as she pointed to the bald hyena, next to her mother, with crossed eyes and a dangling tongue. Both Jasiri's mother and father looked at Ed with a surprised look on their faces.

"Ed?!" they exclaimed in unison. Ed brought his tongue back into his mouth and gave his companions a questioning look.

"You told Jasiri that she could go by the border… alone?!" the female exclaimed.

"Eeeeeh…" Ed began before making a bunch of gestures with is paws and mumbling some kind of incoherent, unintelligible statement. This earned an annoyed groan from the hyena. Ed was by far the worst baby sitter ever. Of course, that's why she didn't put him in charge of her in the first place. She put…

"Wait a minute…" She turned and growled at the one person who she actually trusted to keep an eye on her… _their_ … daughter.

"Banzi…" the female began, "What did I tell you about putting Ed in charge of our daughter?"

"Shenzi… baby…" Banzi gave a nervous chuckle, "You got to understand… Ed told me he wanted to watch her. Isn't that right Ed?" This time, Ed answered with a shake of his head, telling them 'no'. Banzi frowned and exclaimed, "Oh sure, the one time we can actually make sense of what you say and it's to get me in trouble!"

"ehehehehe." Ed laughed in response, earning a growl from Banzi. For someone who couldn't talk, Ed sure was annoying whenever he opened that muzzle of his. His brother was such a dimwit; a smart dimwit, but a dimwit none the less.

"Hey shut up!" Banzi exclaimed, which caused Ed to only laugh even louder. That did it for Banzi, and instantly he lunged at Ed, causing both hyenas to start rolling over each other in an effort to nip and bite the other.

Shenzi rolled her eyes as she watched the two go at it… again. Why did they have to do this, every time Banzi got annoyed? She knew if she didn't break them up now, then they would be here all day. Looking down at her daughter, she sternly instructed, "You stay put."

"Yes mother." Jasiri said innocently as she watched her mother approach her father and uncle.

"Will you two knock it off?" Shenzi exclaimed as the two continued to fight, "Seriously, why is it that every time we are out here that you both seem to go at it?"

As the adults were now preoccupied amongst themselves, Madoa walked up next to Jasiri and gave her a sly smile as she silently stared at her sister. Jasiri looked back and forth between her parents and her sister, who was still staring at her.

"What?" she finally asked, but she was not expecting her sister's answer.

"So… who's the cute guy you were hanging out with earlier?"

"W-What?" Jasiri gasped, "H-How do you…"

"I watched from the mist." Madoa explained, "I never seen him around the Graveyard before. Who was he?"

"Um…" Jasiri had to be cautious. She didn't know how much Madoa saw and she had to make sure she didn't know about Kopa, "How much did you see?"

"Not much," Madoa shrugged, "I left when I saw you were with another hyena." Jasiri breathed a sigh of relief. "However… there was that other guy…" Jasiri tensed when she heard that.

"W-What other guy?" she jittered.

"The one wearing a skull on his head." chuckled Madoa. Honestly, why was Jasiri so jumpy about this? It wasn't like her to be nervous. "He was an odd looking cat. What was he doing there?" Mentally, Jasiri breathed a sigh of relief. Madoa didn't see that Kopa was a lion, which meant that she was in the all clear for giving her sister an explanation. Some things she would have to leave out… but it hasn't been to first time she had to do this.

"Oh… uh…" Jasiri had to think of the right words to say, "They… um… were from another place called the Pack Lands."

"Pack Lands?" Madoa gave her sister a questioning look, "Did you just make that up?"

"No, that's really where the pup said they were from." Which was half true, "His name is Kicheko and the other guy was Kopa. He's a… a… ser… seri… sera…"

"A servile?" Madoa guessed.

"Yes!" Jasiri went with it, "I couldn't think of the name! That's what he was, a servile."

"Hm… I see…" Madoa didn't know what it was, but something about the way her sister spoke made her feel a bit skeptical about this story she just heard. "And… what were they doing in the Elephant Graveyard?"

"Oh… uh… they were just exploring. Kicheko… doesn't really have any parents. Just Kopa." Which was once again half true.

"Really?" Madoa asked, now with genuine concern, "What happened to them?"

"He… didn't say." Jasiri said, now becoming much more relaxed as she spoke, "all I know is that I should be meeting them tonight by the border. I'll ask them then."

"Again?" said Madoa, letting out an annoyed sigh. She was lucky Mom and Dad were too busy right now to hear what she had just said. Heck, she was lucky they didn't find her out there this time before she did. "Jasiri, you know if you do that then I'll have-"

"Mom! Dad! We got big news!" The adults stopped their fighting and Jasiri and Madoa looked up to see the newcomers. Three hyena pups suddenly ran up to Shenzi, Banzi, and Ed and they all looked very excited. One of them had a lazy eye, and looked a lot like Ed. The other had a large jaw and was really bulky for a pup his age. Then lastly there was the one who led them. When Jasiri saw that the one leading the other two was her brother, she frowned. Nothing he said could be good news.

"What is it, Janja?" Shenzi asked as she noticed her son approach her.

"Mom!" The pup named Janja exclaimed, "Me and the boys were just minding our own business but then we saw it!"

"Saw what?" What her brother said next made Jasiri's heart stop.

"There is a lion in the Graveyard!"

 **End of Chapter 14**

* * *

 **Well now... a puppy Jasiri. Didn't see that coming did you?**

 **Still, I am a bit worried. Is Janja talking about Kopa or someone else? We'll have to wait and see.**

 **So... I decided to make Janja and Jasiri related in this. Sorry to all of you [Janja x Jasiri] fans but I've got something better in mind; plus my idea makes sense.**

 **:P**

 **Until next time guys, Rogue Lion signing off!**

 **(Salutes the Audience)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Wow. For some Reason I feel like this chapter got published quicker than usual. Maybe it's just me? I don't know.**

 **Either way, Welcome to chapter 15 everyone!**

 **I do want to let everyone know, even though I don't have an exact publish date like I used to have (Due to college work) my content will be posted every 2 weeks so I'm just letting you all know in case you are ever wondering what days to wait for a new chapter.**

 **As always, before we begin, I want to thank Gracekim1, yingyangmaster, and LionKingis Awesome for keeping up with the story as it progresses. Also I want to thank Incarnate Firefly for giving this story great feedback and for giving myself some helpful advice.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy and if you did then PLEASE leave a review. I want to know what you all think about the story so far. I respond to everyone.**

 **Without further a due... Let's get into chapter 15!**

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 **Ch. 15 Knowing Your Place**

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"Come on, Mom!" Janja said as he and his companions led Shenzi through the Elephant Graveyard, "He's this way!"

"Janja! Wait, slow down!" Shenzi called out after her son.

Right after he, Cheezi, and Chungu got back, they started raving about how there was apparently a lion in the graveyard. She didn't know whether her son was making some kind of practical joke or not, but Shenzi wasn't about to take any chances. Instantly, she sent Banzi and Ed back to the pack to put them on high alert. She also sent Jasiri and Madoa back with them. For some reason she noticed her daughter seemed really concerned about this matter. Hopefully hearing about a lion entering their home will make Jasiri think twice before going out on her own again. Still, there was now Janja to worry about.

He was supposed to be back with his sisters and father, but before Shenzi could even instruct him, he and his two friends ran back out into the graveyard, causing Shenzi to give chase. That boy had better not be pulling some practical joke, because if he was, she'd kill him… right before killing his father for giving her son his stupid genes.

"He's just over here, Mom." Janja called out over his shoulder, "He said he wanted to see you."

"Wait…" as she continued to run after them, Shenzi realized what Janja just said, "You spoke with a lion?!"

"Hehheh… yeah…" the bulky pup, known as Chungu said, "He was really skinny."

"And creepy!" the crossed eyed pup, Cheezi added, "He had this creepy looking face, and his eyes were spooky looking."

"But he's really nice, and he said he was an old friend!" Janja added, "He offered us free food if we came and got you."

Skinny? Creepy looking face? Free food? Shenzi was now a bit nervous when she heard these thing. The fact that a lion was in the graveyard made Shenzi think that Simba was coming to speak to them about something, but after hearing what the pups just said, made her think that this was someone else. Grant it, Janja and the others were still young and they probably had no idea how a lion was supposed to look like, but the fact that they described the lion in such a way made Shenzi a bit on edge. If she didn't know any better, she would say that the lion in question sounded a lot like…

"Ahh… Janja…" Shenzi froze in her tracks and she could feel her heart suddenly start pounding against her chest as if it was about to jump out in terror. "I see that you have returned… and with your mother. Perfect."

 _That voice… it couldn't be_.

Then, she saw him; sitting on the rocky floor with a half-eaten carcass laying right beside him. His black mane… his singed fur… It was like looking at something out of a nightmare. His body… it was covered in scars. Yet despite this… his original scar stood out from all the rest. Shenzi had only a moment to react before realizing her son and the other pups were still running towards him… still running towards Scar!

"Janja!" Shenzi exclaimed in alarm as she watch the pups run strait to the carcass, "Get away from him!"

"Now, now Shenzi," the lion chuckled, un-phased by her sudden outburst, "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" He smiled as he watched Shenzi freeze in terror, unable to move do to the shock of seeing him. His's eyes then gazed back at the young pups as they began chowing down on the carcass right next to him. "You have quite the strapping young lad, Shenzi. So fearless. So… innocent."

"Yeah Mom!" Janja exclaimed happily as he began gulping down another mouthful of meat, "Mr. Taka here is nice! He brought us food and everything!"

"Taka?!" Shenzi gasped. That was a name she had not heard in a long time, but this lion wasn't him. He was something else. He was a devil, a liar, a… monster. She was about to shout out his true name, but seeing him put up a paw to his muzzle in a shushing motion told her that he wanted her to be silent.

"You need to keep your voice down Shenzi." Scar said in a compassionate voice, "These lands are very unsafe, especially for young pups such as these. Why, if not careful, the very _uttering_ of a word can be the difference between life and _death_ here. Wouldn't you agree?" Though it sounded like sound advice, Shenzi could catch the hidden meaning behind it. Scar always seemed to enjoy speaking in ways that hid his true intent. It was… disturbing to say the least. What sounded like a helpful word of advice was actually a death threat against her children… and that was something Shenzi would be very cautious about when addressing this lion.

"A-Agreed…" Shenzi halfheartedly played along, part of her was still wondering whether or not this was a dream, "These are dangerous times. You'd never know who you will run into. Friend… or foe… You can never tell these days."

"Oh so true my dear…" Scar nodded his head in response as his eyes narrowed at her, "Oh so very true…" Shenzi felt a shiver run down her spine as Scar fixed his eyes on her. She could see the hidden message underneath that compassionate face he was giving her. He wanted to kill her; Shenzi could tell almost instantly as his eyes locked hers. It was the look a predator would give its prey before pouncing forward to deliver the killing blow. Scar hated her and rightfully so. Shenzi figured as much, seeing how she sicked her pack on him back at Pride Rock. It seemed like forever since that event had taken place.

She, Banzi and Ed left their fellow pack members to deal with the traitor, thinking that in his weakened state that he would be no trouble at all. When only half of her pack returned, she only assumed that the others had been consumed by the fire along with Scar. Now… she was witnessing the mistake of her assumption.

"Hey, Mom!" Shenzi's attention turned to her son, who had brought her a slab of meat from the corpse and laid it at her feet, "You want some?" Shenzi wanted to feel touched by her son's sudden gesture, but she couldn't. Not while… he… was there.

"Such a kind little soul." Scar awed, though Shenzi could tell he was anything but caring about her or her son, "Reminds me of the times I used to bring you, Banzi, and Ed meals."

"You brought my Dad meals?" Cheezi perked his head up, listening in on the conversation.

"Why yes…" Scar's gaze went back to the cross eyed pup, "Let me guess… you must be Ed's boy."

"Haha! Yep!" Cheezi laughed, "Sure am!" he then went straight back to eating.

"Clearly the way he speaks he takes after his mother…" Scar grumbled under his breath. Then he addressed the other pup, "And you?"

"Wha…" Chungu stopped eating, picked up his head and looked around, making sure the lion wasn't talking to anyone else, "Me?"

"Yes… you…" Scar forced a smile, just to hide his aggravation from this pup's apparent dimwittedness, "Whose pup are you?"

"Errraaaa…" Chungu thought about that question for a moment. It was hard question. Chungu knew the answer was either '24' or to 'do whatever Janja says', but he couldn't remember which one was the right answer. Come to think of it… What was he doing again? That's when he caught the scent of delicious fresh meat. He looked back down and there in front of him laid a perfectly good carcass.

"Oh boy! Free lunch!" he exclaimed before going straight back to eating, though he didn't realize he was eating earlier.

"Charming." Scar said in a droll ton as he raised an eyebrow at the pup. So the next generation was a naive Mama's boy, a pup with a slightly less severe condition, and a chubby mutt with the attention span of a slug. Honestly… it was a bit of a step up from Shenzi and her lot. They would be of use to him in time, yet for now, his main concern was the matriarch herself.

"What are you doing here…? Taka?" Shenzi said, going along with whatever game Scar was playing at. That's when Scar once again looked back at Shenzi and decided to move on to the matter at hand.

"I just wanted to speak with you, my dear." Scar smiled, "It has been far too long, however… I think it would be appropriate if we had this discussion in private. I find it rude to have others listen in on important matters and you know how I feel about _loose_ _ends_." That low rumble in his throat told Shenzi that Scar was losing his patients, and right now so was she. She wanted to know what he was doing here, what his intentions were, and if whether or not she could finish what her pack started. In order to do that, she would need her son to be far away from here.

"Janja." Shenzi ordered sternly, paying no heed to her son's whimpering as he continued to offer her a piece of meat, "You and your friends need to go back home."

"B-But Mom…" Janja wined, not understanding why his mother suddenly became so serious, "We just got here."

"Yeah." Cheezi chimed in, "Why do we have to leave?"

"Listen to your elders, kiddies." Scar instructed with a gentle voice, "Shenzi only has your best interests in mind. Trust me on that." Janja really didn't want to leave. Mr. Taka was such a nice guy; he told such interesting stories and he even brought him and his friends a free meal. To suddenly be sent away by his mother after bringing her long lost friend back to her made Janja feel… dejected in a way. Still… he knew it wouldn't be the last time he saw the lion.

"Fine…" Janja whimpered as he obediently obeyed his mother's wishes. He then called out to his companions: "Come on guys. Let's go." Immediately, the other two beckoned to Janja's call and Shenzi and Scar watched as the three ran back into the darkness of the graveyard towards the hyena's home. At least whatever happens next, Shenzi would be relieved to know that they were out of harm's way.

"I always wondered…" Scar said in a teasing manner, causing Shenzi to turn back and face him, "What did you ever see in Banzi? He's not exactly the average specimen of a hyena."

"What are you even doing here?" Shenzi growled as she approached him, ignoring his comment, "How did you even survive?" Suddenly, Scar smiled, causing her to stop in her tracks. He was… happy… that was never a good sign.

"Scary, isn't it?" Scar smirked as he slowly got to his feet and took a step forward towards his once loyal friend, "The things I can do…" The moment he said that he noticed Shenzi lifted up her hind leg to take a step back before quickly placing it back down. He could already tell by her features. She was scared of him; terrified even. It was a feeling that was quite familiar to Scar. He felt the same way upon seeing his nephew come back from the grave. Even then, Scar could at least keep grace under pressure. Shenzi, however, didn't have the moxie or self-discipline to keep her emotions in check during intense situations. Just seeing her like this, terrified and alone, told Scar that he had already won the battle mentally. Now… it was time he got her help so that he could win the war.

"You're not welcome here!" Shenzi exclaimed, trying to sound intimidating, "Now leave, before my pack comes and finishes you off for good this time!"

"Now Shenzi…" Scar began slowly, "You of all people should know that I never leave until I get what I want, and right now I want something only you can give."

"What makes you think I would even be willing help you again?" Shenzi spat, "You destroyed the Pride Lands, pushed my pack to the brink of starvation, and you solely blamed us for Mufasa's downfall! I have half a mind to end you right here!"

"Try it…" Scar welcomed openly, letting a low rumble out of his voice, "Just try it. I have not clawed my way through fire and rubble just to be taken down by one lone mongrel such as you. However… if you think you can finish what a pack of your kind couldn't then by all means… give it your best shot." Something was wrong and Shenzi knew it. Scar was not the one to usually put himself in this kind of position. He was only a few feet away from her. All she needed was one quick lunge to the neck and Scar would be put down… permanently this time.

Yet before she attacked Shenzi hesitated as she realized something. If she knew this then Scar would know this too. Why then would he leave himself open to her? What advantage could he possibly have if any? Was this another one of his mind tricks? Either way it didn't matter. The opportunity was too good to pass up. She didn't have a choice, she knew that she would never get a chance like this again. Right as she readied herself to lunge at his throat…

"Argh!"

Shenzi yelped as she felt something large slam her from behind and pin her to the ground. Whoever it was, Shenzi could feel the weight of her assailant on her back as a paw rested on the top of her head. She growled as she could feel the claws just barely digging into her forehead causing her both great distress and a mild pain.

"My dear Shenzi…" a new voice spoke up, once again causing Shenzi to shutter with fear, "Is that anyway to treat your king?"

"Z-Zira?" Shenzi gasped, recognizing the voice instantly. She had returned! Which meant if she was back then… the others…

"As usual, you're right on time, Zira." Scar greeted with an evil smirk, yet his most loyal follower was not sharing in his amusement.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Scar, "You are supposed to be in the den!"

"Enough!" Scar commanded, silencing Zira's words, "We will discuss this later, Zira. For now we have other things to attend to." Scar then looked down at the struggling hyena beneath Zira. She was so pathetic… just like her mother. She and the rest of her pack should have been executed the moment Scar retook the throne. Yet Scar knew he would not have been here without their help. Before he was king he needed the hyenas. When he took the throne, he needed the hyenas. And now… with his kingdom stripped from him, he will need the help of Shenzi and her pack once again. Only this time, it will be the last.

"Make no mistake, Shenzi." Scar growled as he bent down and got to eye level with his old friend, "Nothing would give me more pleasure than to slit your throat right now and be done with you."

"Then what's stopping you?" Shenzi growled as she bared her teeth at Scar.

"An old friend is reminding me that you could still be useful." Scar smiled.

"And who might that be?"

"Taka." Scar grinned as he watched Shenzi's expression change from angered to shocked in an instant. She wasn't expecting that answer and Scar knew it. Though it was a name he had abandoned long ago, it still had its uses, like persuading those who once knew him by that title.

"Taka is dead." Shenzi growled as she recomposed herself, "He died with the rest of his guard."

"Did he truly?" Scar mused, "Or has he been alive this whole time and you just haven't accepted him for who he is? Either way, that small part of my past still believes that you and your family can redeem yourselves. All you have to do is listen to what I have to say."

"Forget it!" Shenzi tried to shake her head free from Zira's grasp, but the lioness simply applied a bit of pressure to her head which caused the hyena to groan and stop resisting, "Nothing you say will get me or anyone else from my pack to help you again!"

"Very well then. I didn't want to do this." Scar sighed, sounding disappointed in Shenzi's choice of words, "But if negotiations won't work then I will use leverage to get what I want."

"Why don't you try speaking clearly, genius?" Shenzi retorted, "For a lion who claims to be so smart you sure sound a lot like an idiot, the way you speak." Shenzi smirked as she saw a scowl come over Scar's face. Yet what he said next made Shenzi regret having even opening her mouth.

"You want me to speak clearly?" Scar repeated in a low tone, "Fine then. Either you give me what I want, or I'll bury your children in the ground along with your mate and his brother." Shenzi's eyes widened when she heard this. Besides her pack, her family was all she truly had left in this world. Banzi... Ed… Janja… Madoa… Jasiri…

"You wouldn't…" Shenzi seethed between her teeth.

"You of all people should know me by now, Shenzi." Scar growled back, "If I can order the destruction of a prince, and the murder of a king, and the extermination of rival lions, then you can be very sure that I will not hesitate to destroy everything that you hold dear if you do not comply." It was over… and Shenzi knew it. Her pack could stand their own against Scar and Zira, but she knew if Zira was back then so was the others in Scar's guard. It wouldn't be a battle, it would be a slaughter.

It was one thing to risk her own life against this tyrant, but she would not risk the lives of everyone else she held dear. Shutting her eyes and holding back the tears, she accepted her place in this hopeless situation as she asked, "What do you want from me?"

"First," Scar stated as he got to his feet, "I want you to be silent about our dealings, then I want you to be available when I call on you, and finally I want you to do exactly what I tell you from here on out. If you falter in any of these areas in any way… I promise you I will take away everything you hold dear in this world." Though the relations he had with the hyenas was now a bit unstable, Scar now had his army back under his control. This was just the beginning, and it wouldn't be long until he would be ready to retake what was rightfully his.

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Meanwhile, back in the Pride Lands, Kopa and Kicheko were just passing by the waterhole as they slowly made their way back to Pride Rock. The pup was still shocked at what took place earlier. He met a hyena… an actual hyena. Besides being brought to the Elephant Graveyard, meeting another one of his kind was… riveting to say the least. Thinking about Jasiri and Kopa and about their meeting later that night made Kicheko reflect a bit on what really troubled him. He was happy to meet another hyena… yet… hanging out with Kopa also brought him great joy. Both of them gave Kicheko some measure of happiness. Yet without Kopa and without the hyenas… could he still be happy?

"I can't believe you made me throw away that skull." Kopa grumbled as he continued walking towards Pride Rock, "We could have found some more and played some… Kicheko?" that was when Kopa noticed that Kicheko was no longer walking behind him. Instead, the pup was standing right under a tree next to the waterhole, looking at his reflection in the crystal clear water.

"K?" Kopa asked as he walked back towards his brother, "You ok?"

"Um…" Kicheko pressed his lips together, trying to think of a way to put this nicely to Kopa, "Just go on ahead, Kopa. I'll catch up." Kopa gave his brother a worried look when he heard this. Whenever he was upset about something he wanted to be alone.

"Are you still mad about earlier?" Kopa questioned.

"N-No." Kicheko hesitated, trying his best to sound genuine to his brother, "I just… have to think about some things. That's all." Kicheko thought that would suffice, but instead, this earned him a stern glare from Kopa. Though his brother was a goofball, Kicheko knew Kopa could be serious when he wanted to be… which the hyena really hated because it made him feel bad whenever Kopa gave him that look.

"Kopa…" Kicheko sighed, "I'll be right behind you. I just need some time with my thoughts. I'll be back at Pride Rock before the sun goes down. I promise." Kicheko didn't know if Kopa believed him or not, but after a silent moment, his brother turned back towards Pride Rock and slowly disappeared into the tall grass. Finally alone, Kicheko breathed a sigh of relief as he went back to looking at his reflection in the water.

He tilted his head to the side, getting a better look at himself. For a moment, he thought that if he looked again he would seem different, but the reflection was always the same as before. It was the face of a hyena… not a lion… a hyena. Kicheko groaned to himself, not understanding any of it. He was loved by his family yet the others in the Pride Lands looked at him as an outsider. The lionesses, Beba, even those bad lions who came to Pride Rock that one time; they all viewed him as someone who didn't belong here. When he was at the graveyard, the hyena he met looked at him as one of their own, yet she hid him the moment another one of her kind came along. She just put him away as if he was some ugly speck that she didn't want anyone else to see. Wondering how the other hyenas would truly react to his presence made Kicheko feel like he didn't belong there either… in that graveyard.

"I don't understand…" Kicheko whispered to himself as he continued to stare into his reflection in the water. Then for the first time since he began feeling down, he blurted out "Why don't I… belong anywhere?" Suddenly, Kicheko could hear something. It was a faint sound, but it had a tune to it. Sort of like someone was… humming?

"Why whatever do you mean, young one?" A voice suddenly said. The pup looked to his right, and to his surprise, right next to him stood an old mandrill who was humming a little tune while tying a pair of round orange fruit to the end of his staff. Instantly, Kicheko got to his feet and began to apologies.

"S-Sorry, sir." The hyena stuttered, "I didn't know you were there."

"Hm?" the old mandrill looked at the pup with his yellow eyes questioningly before asking in a gentle tone, "What on earth would you be apologizing for, my child?"

"I…" Kicheko slowly began, "I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"Nonsense." The mandrill chuckled softly, "You did nothing of de sort. However, I couldn't' help but overhear…" once he finished tying his fruit to the end of his staff, he then laid it to his side, and sat down and crossed his legs.

"What?" Kicheko questioned, noticing how the monkey kept a calm poseur as he spoke. He didn't seem nervous talking to him. "You… you're not afraid of me?" the mandrill smiled as he shook his head. Kicheko didn't know what it was… but this old guy sure seemed nice… a lot nicer than most of the animals he met out in the wild.

"Tell me. Why should I be afraid of you?" questioned the mandrill as he rested his chin on the knuckles of his tan colored hand.

"Why?" Kicheko groaned, thinking that such and answer was obvious, "Everyone else in the Pride Lands are! Everywhere I go people are afraid of me. I'm a hyena! And even after I meet another hyena, I still feel like I don't belong with them." Kicheko didn't care anymore. He had kept it bottled up for so long that it didn't matter to him who knew. After the ordeal in the Elephant Graveyard, he had come to terms internally about his feelings. With his ears drooping, he looked away from the old monkey and sighed, "I don't belong anywhere."

"Says who?" Kicheko's ears perked up and he looked back at the mandrill as he continued to speak, "Who decides whether or not you belong where you are? Did not de king and queen take you in? Are you not a part of their family? Who cares what de others say as long as Simba and Nala love you?"

"But I'm not a part of their family!" Kicheko countered, now letting his emotions get the better of him as he began to pace back and forth as he talked, "Think about it! A lion adopting a hyena? That's like a hippo adopting a giraffe! I don't belong with them. I don't belong in the Pride Lands." That saying… it was what one of those bad lions said about him, and he never forgot it. It shook him to his core and now… he was revealing it to this monkey… this stranger. Yet, once again to the pup's surprise, the mandrill began to chuckle and shake his head in amusement.

"My dear child…" the mandrill smiled, "You are so young and you still have much to learn. But now dat you have shown me des things, would you mind humoring an old soul by answering some questions?" Kicheko looked puzzled at the old mandrill for a second, not knowing whether or not to go along with what he said. He seemed nice enough. He certainly was taking his time to sit down and talk with him about all of this. Not knowing what else to do, Kicheko gave his knew companion a nod.

"Very good." The mandrill nodded, "Now, look at de grass." The mandrill then slowly swept his hand through the long grass behind him before pointing to the tree in front of him, "Now is the grass different then dis tree?"

"Of course." Was Kicheko's immediate reply, thinking that such a question was obvious.

"Yet are dey not both still plants?" the mandrill asked again. Kicheko hesitated for a second, but as he thought about it… they were both plants.

"Yeah, their plants."

"Now…" the mandrill began again, picking up a small pebble with his hand and holding it out before the young pup, "Is this pebble de same as a mountain?"

"No."

"Yet are dey both not made of stone?"

"Yes…" Kicheko could see a pattern with these questions, but he did not yet know what this old guy was getting at.

"Next…" the mandrill slowly began, "Are you and Kopa the same species?"

"Definitely not!" Kicheko laughed at that one.

"Yet are you not both still brothers?" this time… Kicheko remained silent. They would always call each other 'bro' for fun since Kicheko was adopted, but never did the pup look at the word with much meaning. This was… a lot to take in.

"You see?" the mandrill smiled seeing the wisdom of his words sink into the pup's head, "You are not as different as you think you are." Kicheko looked at the ground and closed his eyes. He knew the weird monkey was just trying to help… and he did understand the point he was trying to get across, but the young pup knew that no one else would see things the same way. Knowing that… made Kicheko doubt even the simplest of things.

"But… we're not brothers." Kicheko sighed, letting his mind speak for his heart, "Everyone knows we're not brothers. I'm not even a lion. How can-" Before Kicheko could utter another word the old mandrill placed his hand on the pup's head and gently gave in a rub before explaining himself.

"Young one…" he said in a soft tone, "Family is more than just blood and skin. Family is whoever you love and whoever loves you." Then the mandrill directed Kicheko's gaze back to the water at his reflection. "Look at yourself." Kicheko looked down once again at his reflection as the mandrill continued speaking, "Don't let your feelings mislead you in doubting _who_ you are, or making you believe that you don't belong here because of _what_ you are. De Circle of Life does not look at others differently. There are many different plants, yet dey are all here to give life and provide us with homes. De rocks are many and in great shapes and sizes, yet dey all give us a firm foundation to stand on. Lions and hyenas…" the mandrill chuckled as he continued, "Dey are both 2 species in a vast majority of animals who have a place in this world and a role to fill in de Circle of Life. So you see… you are not so different after all."

"Huh… I… never thought of it that way." Kicheko just stared at his reflection for a moment. Before when he looked at himself he wondered if something was wrong with him, but after hearing what the old mandrill had to say he felt differently about himself. No longer did he question whether or not he belonged here now. Simba and his family brought him in even though he was a hyena. They showed him love that he had yet to see from anyone else. Kicheko may not be a lion, but right now, the first time in a long time, he felt as proud as one. He had a purpose, he had a role, and right now… he had a family and people who loved him waiting for him back at Pride Rock. For the first time in a long time, Kicheko felt a weight suddenly lift off of his shoulders. A question that he had so long in his mind was now answered. 'Why didn't he belong in the Pride Lands?' the answer was, he already belonged here. He just needed to realize it for himself.

Realizing this… Kicheko smiled.

"Remember young pup," the mandrill said once again as he raised his hand, "Sisi Ni Sawa." Kicheko looked up at the mandrill, wondering if he heard him right.

"Sisi Ni… whata?"

"Si-si Ni Sa-wa." The mandrill repeated slower than before, "It means dat: 'we are de same'. We are all creatures who must play our part in de Circle of Life."

"We're the same… hmm…" the phrase certainly had a nice ring to it. Kicheko had to admit, this guy was a really big help. He knew a lot about the Circle of Life and everything.

"Hey, Mister." Kicheko looked back up at the mandrill, "Thanks... for... for listening to me."

"Any time, Kicheko." Suddenly, that's when Kicheko realized that after all this time, he still didn't know his name. Right when he was about to ask him...

"Hey Kicheko!" the pup suddenly looked back and was surprised by who he saw. Coming right out of the tall grass was none other than Simba and Nala, and they both had bright smiles on their faces.

"Mom! Dad!" Kicheko greeted them.

"What are you doing out here, my little laughter?" Simba asked.

"Well, you see…" Kicheko smiled as he began to explain, "I was just talking to… Huh?!" right when Kicheko looked back, he realized that the mandrill was gone. It was like he disappeared into thin air! He didn't even make a sound!

"Kicheko?" Nala questioned, noticing the pup's sudden alarm, "Is something wrong?"

"He was right here!" Kicheko exclaimed as he walked around, trying to see if the mandrill was somehow hiding nearby, "How could he be gone so fast?"

"Don't worry." Simba chuckled, assuming he knew who Kicheko was talking about, "We saw Kopa on his way back to Pride Rock." Kicheko was about to correct his father, but Nala suddenly asked something.

"So how was the surprise Kopa showed you?"

"Uh!" Kicheko's ears perked up and he bit his lip. Honestly he had forgotten that he had just came back from Kopa's little surprise. He had to think of something to say otherwise both of them would be in trouble. Finally, letting out a light laugh he said, "Heh… it was… _something_."

"Good something, or bad something?" Nala questioned, noticing Kicheko's nervous look.

"Well…" Kicheko's gazed back over his shoulder in the direction of the Elephant Graveyard. It was definitely an unforgettable experience… but… it wouldn't be the one that Simba or Nala would like. So, giving a smile, Kicheko just said, "It was actually good. At first I didn't think so, but now… I'm glad he did this for me." Simba and Nala smiled when they saw Kicheko's cheerful expression. Whatever their son did, it seemed to have brightened Kicheko's mood.

"I'm glad to hear it." Simba smiled, "Now let's go home, son. It's getting dark out."

"Sure thing… Dad." Kicheko replied as he ran up to his parents. Together, the three of them made their way back home under the dusk of the evening sun. All in all it turned out to be an adventurous day, but still, Kicheko had one question lingering in the back of his mind.

"Who was that strange monkey?"

 **END OF CHAPTER 15**

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 **And so another chapter comes to and end...**

 **Before I get any comments asking me, "Was that Rafiki?" I'm telling you now yes... it was him. Kicheko has just never met him before. Plus speaking about him this way kind of sets the mood in my opinion.**

 **Scar is back and it looks like he's not really happy with the hyenas. Yet he still needs them. I wonder what he has in store for Shenzi.**

 **It's nice to see that Shenzi cares about her children, but I'm not sure what will happen now that Janja has met Scar/Taka. I wonder how that will effect things.**

 **It looks like our little hyena is happy again, thankfully. Now that he has a new perspective of his life, will others take notice of it? And who will be effected by his understanding?**

 **As always thank you for reading and please don't forget to leave a review. It let's me know I have an audience and encourages me to write more frequently.**

 **Until next time everyone, I hope you enjoyed and have a great day!**

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 **Reader Response:**

 **(Sorry about not having this up. The last few weeks have been hectic.)**

 **yingyangmaster:**

 **I'm glad you caught those little references from both the Lion Guard and Lion King series. I like to throw some of those in once in a while just to make people go, "Hey! That's just like in the movie! Now the question is... can you find the ones in chapter 15 if any?**

 **Gracekim1:**

 **The Lion Guard series did throw me off a bit with their character scaling, but I imagin they are both teenagers in the Lion Guard. Also though many people think Jasiri and Janja have different parents, many of them think either Jasiri is Shenzi's daughter or that Janja is Shenzi's son. So, in my story I decided to make them both her children. (Hopefully the Lion Guard doesn't make me regret my decision of doing that.) But the way I see it, even though I made them related I still believe they can have different viewpoints on the Circle of Life. Kind of like Mufasa and Scar, they were both brothers yet they both had different opinions about the Circle of Life and ruling a kingdom. So I'm also very interested in seeing where this will play out with Janja and Jasiri.**

 **LionKingIsAwesome:**

 **Thanks. Since many animals in the kid's series know about Simba, I figured that he has had a history with some. So this story of mine is a great way to expand on the different animals and their connection to the Royal family.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello all. It's been two weeks.**

 **Currently Hurricane Nate is hitting, so hopefully the power will hold up long enough for me to post this.**

 **LOL**

 **Before we begin, I just want to give a massive shout out to _Incarnate Firefly_! His reviews have been so helpful and a major confidence boost in writing these chapters. I highly recommend going over to his profile and checking out his Lion King stories. I'm almost caught up to where he's at, but so far it's one of the best I've ever read. Go check him out and give his content some support. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.**

 **Now, let's dive in and see what the next chapter has in store.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Ch. 16 Night of the Young**

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It was done. There was no turning back now. For better or worse, the hyenas were now part of Scar's little uprising, even though the pack themselves didn't realize it. As the sun began to set, Scar and Zira walked casually down the long barren ground back to their hideout in the Out Lands. Both of them remained silent during the walk back to their base, for neither one of them wanted to say anything. Scar was lost in his owns thoughts, wondering what would be the appropriate next step would be. Zira, meanwhile, was wondering what she did wrong.

Earlier that day she had discussed journeying to the Graveyard to try and get the hyenas on their side, but Scar forbade it. He told her that now was not the right time, yet Zira persisted that they should at least try. Finally, Scar conceded, but gave her directions to a path to get to the graveyard quickly. Zira thanked Scar and followed his instructions, yet found it odd that Scar changed his mind so quickly on the matter. Upon arriving at the graveyard, Zira's suspicions were confirmed. Instantly when she saw Scar and Shenzi talking she knew he tricked her into taking a longer rout.

Now… all Zira could do was wonder what she did wrong. What was wrong with her, that she would be treated like a cub who couldn't do anything without someone observing her every move? What did she do to warrant such mistrust from the one she loved?

"Lovely evening, isn't it?" Zira looked at Scar, who was still staring out in the direction they were walking. How could he be so calm, after all that had just happened?

"Is that all you have to say?" Zira growled, a bit sterner then she intended.

"Oh?" Scar's eye slowly looked back at his Fiercest as they continued walking, "Is there something the matter, my dear?"

"I was sent out to complete a mission only to have you show up and babysit me and do my task for me!" Zira spat, "If you don't trust me then why not just come out and say it instead of letting me live in this fantasy world where I am actually useful?"

"Zira…" Scar suddenly growled. Zira stopped in her tracks as Scar suddenly placed himself in front of her and looked over her with an angry expression, "I _went_ because I knew you would kill Shenzi the moment she refused to aid me. I was not about to risk that. My plans were to bring the hyenas in later when we had a more firm power base. Now… we have to once again change things because of this little mishap." As Scar spoke, Zira shut her eyes tight and turned away from him.

Every time… every time she tried to make amends for her failures it seemed like she would just make things worse. She was not fit to serve as Scar's Fiercest… she was not fit to even be in his presence.

"I have made a grave mistake." Zira said between gritted teeth, fighting to hold back the tears as she once again swallowed her pride, "I was a fool. Please forgive me, Scar. It won't happen again."

"No. No! NO!" Scar exclaimed in anger, "You still don't get it!" This was his fiercest? A sniveling little lioness who groveled every time she felt like did something wrong? No… Scar knew Zira was better than this. She had to be. Turning his back on her he snarled, "You are meant for more than this, Zira! Why do you apologize every time you feel like you do something wrong? It's pathetic! Until you start acting like a leader, you will nothing but a soldier. And like all soldiers, your greatest achievement in life will be when you give your life on the battle field; no more… and no less."

It was done. Scar knew that there was nothing more to say. The dark lion began to walk away, leaving Zira standing in the middle of the path, shaken by all she had just heard. She was just like Vita… a lion driven by instinct and emotion. Mentally, Scar wished with all his might that Zira would be the one to help lead his new era. Despite her shortcomings with Nuka, she was one of the only people in Scar's life whom he actually trusted. They had told each other things that only they knew about. If she was not strong enough to help pave the way for his new era… then no one was.

As he walked away, Scar feared that he truly was leading himself and his allies into oblivion. That is, until he heard three words that rekindled hope in his heart.

"Then show me!"

Scar stopped in his tracks when he heard Zira voice call out from behind him, yet he did not turn around… not yet.

"Show me!" Zira exclaimed again, tears now streaming down her face as she continued in a cracking voice, "You say I'm to be a leader like you and yet I don't know how! I want to be strong, Scar! I want to do what you require of me! How can I unless you show me? You made me the Fiercest in your guard! You appointed me to this position! Back during your rule I did everything you told me to do and you were pleased with me. Now I'm doing the exact same thing and it's no longer enough! So if you want me to be something more than I am, then teach me what I must do to achieve it!"

For a while, there was a moment of silence. The only thing that could be heard was Zira's heavy breathing from the stress she was feeling. Suddenly, Scar turned around and looked at her. Both lions just stared at each other in silence as the sun slowly began to descend behind the hills in the background. Zira did not know what came over her, but she was just tired of always coming up short in whatever she did. She wanted to please. She wanted to be strong. Now… after what she just said, she feared that once again she did something wrong, and it frightened her to know the truth.

Suddenly, Scar began to slowly approach her, each soft step he took making a soft clapping sound in the dirt. Zira only stared at him with wide eyes as he slowly drew closer, and closer, until finally he was standing right over her. His face was void of emotion and his eyes were as piercing as a snake's fang. Finally, at the peak of the tension between the two, Scar spoke.

"At last, Zira…" he stated in a calm yet proud tone, "You finally understand."

"W-What?" Zira stuttered, not understanding what Scar was doing.

"For anyone to grow," Scar explained, "They must be willing to seek out knowledge. Those who refuse to improve themselves will wallow in their own misery and self-pity, focusing on nothing else except their shortcomings. Yet, those who are willing to be more than they can be, will do whatever is necessary to obtain their goals. You are the first out of the guard to even attempt to take this step. The question now, Zira, are you willing to go through with this?" Zira was a bit taken back by Scar's sudden gesture. This was more than just encouraging words to her; this was her king… her beloved, offering her a chance at redemption… and glory.

"I am." Zira nodded, still feeling a bit dumbfounded.

"Are you willing…" Scar asked again, "and ready, to be my Fiercest? Truly?" When reposed the question, Zira's sorrowful looking face was replaced by one of determination and focus.

"My King…" Looking Scar dead in the eyes, while giving him a stern nod, she stated once more with confidence, "I am."

"Well then," Scar gave Zira a wicked grin, "We have no time to waste."

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The rest of the evening was very pleasant for Simba and his family. Upon returning home, he and Nala enjoyed a large dinner with Kopa and Kicheko as well as the other lionesses. Everyone traded stories about this successful hunt. The big topics, the lionesses talked about, were how Nala and Sarabi had outperformed everyone and how the young lioness, Atriss, had made her first official kill during the hunt. It brought joy to Simba's heart to see everyone in high spirits, especially his adopted son, Kicheko. Apparently, Kopa had taken him out earlier in the day to show him a surprise by the elephants. Whatever his son showed him, it seemed to have left a positive effect on the young pup.

When he asked what the surprise was, Kicheko merely told home, 'If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise.' Though it was clear that Kicheko and Kopa wanted to keep whatever happened between themselves, Kicheko's response made Simba shutter a bit internally. He remembered someone from his past had told him something similar, and it turned out to be a stamped in a gorge. Simba, of course, knew Kicheko probably didn't know about such things so the Lion King thought it would just be best if he didn't bring his past up.

Like all things, however, the fun times had to come to a close. As night settled in on the Pride Lands, the entire Pride started to settle down for the night and go to sleep. Simba and Nala did the same. Even though they had a fun little nap earlier that day, Simba still felt exhausted and was eager to get some much needed sleep. Yet as he drifted off into slumber, little did Simba know that his boys had other plans for the night.

After waiting an hour after everyone fell asleep, Kicheko decided that now was the perfect time to sneak out to the Elephant Graveyard to see Jasiri. He could only hope she would be there waiting for him. As the pup slowly opened his eyes and quietly got to his feet, he silently walked around the lionesses. They were spraweled all over the cave floor, and if the pup wasn't carful, they would wake and blow his cover. Looking out at the pile of lions, he failed to see where his brother was.

"Hey… Kopa?" He called out in a hushed tone, "You awake?"

"I'm here, K." he heard Kopa whisper back from the other side of the den, "But I think we have a problem." Kicheko wondered what Kopa was talking about as he followed his voice in the darkness, yet when he saw his brother, he quickly placed a paw over his own mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud. Kopa had apparently slept next to Simba and was now wrapped up tightly in his father's arms. Kicheko found it hilarious, but Kopa failed to share in his brother's amusement.

"Not a word, K." Kopa warned as he saw his brother snickering at him, "Not… one… word."

"Oh this is great!" Kicheko quietly chuckled as he sat down, looking pleased by what he saw, "I kind of like you like this, Kopa. Keeps you out of trouble."

"Ha ha…" was Kopa's dry reply, "Laugh it up, fur brain." This earned another snicker from his brother, but Kopa's face remained serious, "Seriously, K, you got to get me out of here!"

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Kopa." Kicheko sighed. Part of him wanted to just watch his brother remain helpless, yet he knew that if he didn't leave soon then Jasiri would probably be wondering where they were. "Here, let me help you."

"K, wait! Nonononononono- ack!"

The moment Kicheko gently place his paw on Simba's arm to move him off of Kopa, the adult lion shifted his weight and instead of loosening his grip, he tightened it. Kopa gritted his teeth as he felt his father slowly squeeze him tighter before going back to his original firm hold on him. Seeing this made the brothers think back to what Timon and Pumbaa told them about Simba during his time in the oasis.

"Wow…" the pup was at a loss for words, "Here I thought Uncle Timon was exaggerating when he said Dad was a sleep hugger."

"Gee… you think?" Kopa replied in an annoyed tone as he continued to struggle to get free from Simba. It became relatively clear to both of them that the only way Kopa was getting out of Simba's paws was by waking the adult lion up, and by the look of things, that was not going to happen anytime soon. Even if they could wake him up, he would only ask them what they were up to. Their father wasn't stupid. He could always tell when either of his boys were up to no good. Now, with Jasiri certainly awaiting their arrival at the border, both brothers were in a predicament; neither of them were prepared for this.

"Well," Kopa sighed, "Now what are we going to do?" honestly, the young prince was hoping Kicheko had an idea. The way the hyena pup was smirking at him told Kopa that he was thinking of something. However, Kicheko was thinking of something other than his brother's freedom.

"I'm afraid there is only one thing to do, Kopa." Kicheko sighed in a mocking tone.

"What might that be?" Kopa asked. He really wasn't liking the sound of Kicheko's voice. He watched as the pup looked down at him, then towards the den's entrance; then back at him then back at the cave's entrance. After doing this about 3 more times, Kicheko waved his paw at Kopa and happily chided, "Bye."

"What?" Kopa gasped as he watched his brother suddenly get up and walk away. He had to be joking. Kicheko was just trying to pull his tail. He wouldn't leave him here… right? "Come on Kicheko. Stop messing around and get me out of here already!"

"Sorry, bro." Kicheko whispered back to Kopa, "I wish I could help, but honestly, you're a lost cause. Don't worry though, I'll tell Jasiri you said hi."

"Why you…" Kopa said in a low growl. He once again tried to wriggle himself free, but Simba once again shifted in his sleep and hugged his son even tighter.

"ooooh!" Kopa groaned as he felt his body become even more cramped then before. Kopa let out a low growl as he watched his traitor brother disappear out of sight. Honestly, he was thinking about just waking up his dad and have him stop Kicheko, but that would just create problems for both of them. If Simba wakes up and finds Kicheko gone, Jasiri would not get to see either of them tonight, plus Kopa knew if Kicheko got caught he would just tell everyone how he was lead to the Elephant Graveyard against his will. Either way, Kopa would be on the losing side of this predicament, but that didn't stop the young prince from festering in his aggravation about how he would get his brother back.

"You're so dead when you get back, K." Kopa muttered to himself. There was nothing he could do now but go back to sleep and wait for morning to come. As he begrudgingly closed his eyes, Kopa's mind drifted to tomorrow, and how he would pay Kicheko back for his little betrayal. Yes sir… one way or another, Kicheko would regret leaving him behind to be Simba's little throw pillow to hug.

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Once Kicheko made his way down Pride Rock, he made a mad dash through the savannah grass towards the graveyard. Though it was night, the hyena found that he could navigate quite easily through the tall grass. He and Kopa had gone on walks with Simba in the past while he wasn't busy, and though he never did make any trips particularly to the graveyard, he did pass by the road that lead there from time to time. All Kicheko had to do was follow the clearings until he could see the direction to the graveyard. As he ran down the narrow clearing, all Kicheko could think about was how he was actually going to see Jasiri again. He wondered what they would do, what they would talk about, and what she could show him.

As he leaped over a small log and sprinted through the darkness, he thought back to that brief meeting with that strange monkey earlier. He said that all animals had a place in the Circle of Life and that they were all the same. That saying… Si Si Ni Sawa, was interesting. It was a unique little catchphrase and it certainly gave the pup some manner of peace, but still he wondered: what place did a hyena have in the Circle of Life? What was their purpose in all of this? He could ask Simba about it, after all, he is the king of all the animals. Yet, there was no telling if-

"Whoa!" Kicheko was so lost in thought, he didn't notice the small drop off that was just ahead of him. He tumbled head first down the small dusty slope and landed belly first on the hard ground at the bottom.

"Owww…" the pup groaned, his eyes shut tight as he felt the tips of his black hair hanging over his face, "Who's bright idea was it to put a cliff right there?" Letting out a huff, he blew the hair out of his face and stood up to look around at where he was. Just as he thought, there were geysers, elephant bones, and the unmistakable smell of rotten flesh. Yep, he was back in the graveyard. Though the pup found it strange that the scenery looked no different than it did early that day. When he and Kopa arrived earlier during the day everything was grey and dreary, and now that it was the middle of the night it still had that same dreary look to it.

"Wow…" Kicheko whispered to himself as he looked back out at the land before him. Last time he was more concerned about getting out alive, but now as he took a long, good look at his surroundings, he could only stare in awe. Though it looked like something out of a bad dream, it was still… a wonder to behold in some ways. The bones of so many dead elephants were just scattered throughout the land for what seemed like miles. So many questions went through Kicheko's mind as he slowly walked through the skeleton filled land. What happened here? Why were so many elephant carcasses? Why did the hyenas make such a wasteland their home? So many questions… so few answers.

"There you are!" Kicheko's ears perked up and a happy smile came over his face as he heard an all too familiar voice, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come." Looking up, Kicheko spotted the young she pup casually relaxing on top of one of the elephant skulls. She was giving him a smirk while looking at him with a sly expression on her face.

"Jasiri!" Kicheko exclaimed happily, "I'm so glad you came!"

"You're glad _I_ came?" Jasiri repeated as she hopped down from the skull and walked over to him, "You seem to have forgotten that, I live here."

"W-Well yeah…" Kicheko said nervously as she pointed that out, "But… I mean… I thought your parents don't let you go near the borders."

"They don't." Jasiri admitted, "But honestly it's easier to slip away at night when everyone is asleep." Suddenly, Jasiri's face fell and her expression became sad.

"What's wrong?" Kicheko asked, seeing Jasiri's mood suddenly drop.

"I was," Jasiri slowly began, "worried about you."

"Worried?" Kicheko raised an eyebrow, "How come?"

"Because…" Jasiri began, "Earlier today… my brother said he saw a-"

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Kicheko and Jasiri snapped their necks back in shock to see another hyena pup, with the birthmark of 3 diamonds on her forehead, sitting not too far away from them, and she was giving both of them a sly smile. Kicheko was a bit surprised by the newcomer's presence. Jasiri was also having a similar reaction. She was not planning on her sister being here as well.

"Madoa?" Jasiri gasped when she saw her sister, "What are you doing here?"

"You told me that you were coming back here tonight, remember?" Madoa pointed out, "I just came to make sure you two stay out of trouble. Plus, I wanted to see if this guy was as cute as you said he was. No wonder you have a crush on him."

"Madoa!" Jasiri exclaimed in both shock and embarrassment, a bit of red appearing on her cheeks when she heard what her sister just said. Luckily, Kicheko didn't notice her change in expression.

"Madoa?" Kicheko remembered that name from yesterday, "You're Jasiri's sister, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Madoa nodded her head, "That's me." Kicheko looked back and forth between the two sisters for a second. He could certainly see the resemblance between the two. Their faces and ears were identical and their hair styles had that similar laid back look, yet Jasiri had just a bit more hair on her head, plus Madoa's eyes were brown while Jasiri's were a dark blue. Kicheko found it quite unique.

"Heh…" Kicheko smirked, "It's funny." This response earned a questioning look from Jasiri and Madoa.

"What is?" Jasiri asked, not understanding why Kicheko was so calm after what he just heard.

"Don't you remember?" Kicheko asked Jasiri as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "The other day you told me that your sister spotted me. You told me that she… oh how did you put it… 'had the hots for me'." Before Jasiri could even think of a response to such an outrageous statement, the distraught sound of her sister caught her attention.

"You did what?!" Madoa exclaimed in terror, as her cheeks also turned red. She couldn't even remember a moment where this male pup could have seen her. How was he aware of-

"Oh yeah…" Jasiri smirked when she saw the horrified look in her sister's eyes. She quickly figured out that Kicheko was just playing around and she decided to go along while she had the chance to get back at her sister, "She totally does. When I got back home she just went on and on about how she just couldn't go another moment without looking at your… beautiful face."

"Did she now?" Kicheko gave Madoa a sly smile, which caused her to fluster and give Jasiri a death glare. She never said any of those things about Kicheko! She didn't even know the guy! Now her sister was making all of this up and causing her to look like a complete idiot!

"Jasiri!" she squeaked in rage, but her attempt to make an intimidating growl was met with an eruption of laughter from her sister as well as Kicheko. Once they started laughing, it didn't take the pup long to figure out that they were both messing with her.

"Ok…" Kicheko gasped for breath as he finished laughing, "Now that… was funny."

"Oh Madoa!" Jasiri wheezed, "The look on you face! It was priceless!" This of course earned a frown from her sister as she looked at both Jasiri and Kicheko with an annoyed expression.

"And here I thought one Jasiri was bad enough." Madoa groaned, "Now there's two."

"Hey!" Jasiri laughed, "You started it. Don't give it if you can't take it."

"The girl has a point." Kicheko shrugged, all the while smiling at Madoa, "You did kind of start it." Madoa was about to make a comeback, but she thought about the situation she was now in. She could go toe to toe with Jasiri when it came to cracking comebacks, but now this was a 2 versus 1 situation. If she said something about one of them, then both of them would come back. Deciding that it would be best to just drop the subject and move on, Madoa conceded.

"Fair enough." She said as she walked towards the newcomer, "So… you must be Kicheko. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well Madoa." Kicheko bowed his head in respect, which the sisters found odd. No one in their pack greeted each other in such a way. That, of course wasn't the only thing they were not expecting. Now that they were all acquainted, the three pups began to make their way through the graveyard as they began to start up some conversations.

"So… now what?" Kicheko asked as they trotted along, "What do you guys want to do?" Madoa looked a bit unsure, while Jasiri got a mischievous grin on her face.

"I've got an idea." She said, "Just follow me, guys." Not knowing what else to do, Madoa and Kicheko merely followed along behind the head strong pup as she began leading them to Great Kings only knew where.

"By the way, Kicheko," Madoa pointed out as she looked around, "Where is that serval friend of yours?"

"Serval?" Kicheko repeated in a confused manner. Jasiri cringed when she heard Madoa's question. Kicheko didn't know that Jasiri made up a story about Kopa to keep her sister from discovering he was a lion. She had to act fast before Kicheko blows Kopa's cover.

"Yeah, you know." Jasiri nudged Kicheko and spoke to him in a way that he would hopefully catch on, " _Kopa._ The _serval_ , who you travel with, _remember_?" Kicheko gave Jasiri a questioning look at first.

"Oh… _Oh_!" Kicheko understood what Jasiri was trying to say. Madoa didn't know about Kopa being a lion cub. Even though he didn't quite understand how his brother was now a serval, he figured he'd just go along with it and see where Jasiri was going with this. "Yeah… um… about him…" Upon hearing Kicheko stammer a bit, Jasiri felt herself becoming nervous. She was worried if Kicheko had bad news concerning the young cub.

"Is he alright?" Jasiri asked, hopefully.

"What?" Kicheko responded with a surprised look when Jasiri asked him in a worried tone, "Of course he's alright! He just couldn't make it tonight."

"Oh… thank goodness" Jasiri breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this. When Janja told everyone there was a lion in the graveyard earlier she thought that it was surly Kopa. And when her mother returned later on and was asked about what happened, she merely told everyone that she dealt with the intruder. To know that Kopa was alright lifted a weight off of Jasiri's shoulders, but now her fear was replaced with curiosity. "So… what happened to him?"

"Well…" Kicheko let out a little bit of a chuckle as he thought of the best way to explain it to his new friends while making himself look innocent, "Let's just say Kopa was too… _wrapped up_ with some family matters to make it tonight."

"Oh… I see." Jasiri sighed. She didn't catch on to Kicheko's choice of words, but she understood that Kopa probably had other things to do then come and see her tonight. Quite honestly, Jasiri was disappointed. She had some questions she wanted to ask him about the Pride Lands.

"Ah don't worry about him." Kicheko said with a wave of his paw, "He told me to tell you hi and that we should have fun even though he couldn't make it."

"Well, that's nice of him." Madoa honestly found it odd that Kicheko was hanging out with a serval of all creatures. Hyenas don't usually connect well with other species of animals. Though she hadn't yet met Kopa, the fact that a hyena and serval were friends was… unique.

"That's too bad, really," Jasiri sighed as she seemly got closer to Kicheko, "There was something important I wanted to tell him, but I guess you'll have to pass on the message for me, Kicheko."

"Message?" Kicheko asked, not noticing how close Jasiri was getting, "What message?" suddenly, Jasiri rammed herself into Kicheko, knocking the pup on the ground and exclaimed, "Tag! You're it!"

"H-Hey!" Kicheko responded as he watched the sisters suddenly take off, "No fair!" Seeing the young pups suddenly run off laughing, it wasn't long until Kicheko followed suit, and soon all three pups were running through the graveyard playing and having fun. This was turning out to be the best night of Kicheko's life! Little did he know, however, they were all being watched.

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"Looky what I found." The dog like creature said to herself as she watched the pups laughing and playing, "A three course meal. Shenzi must be getting sloppy if she's allowing her pups out this late at night." The creature licked her chops as she thought about how to go about this. Normally she would stay away from hyenas, but honestly the flesh of a hyena pup was probably the freshest thing anyone could find in the graveyard.

She could just run up and grab them, but if one of them got away then she would have an entire pack of hyenas on her heels. That was not something she wanted to risk. On the contrary, she could try luring them all away to a more secluded place before eating them. Yes! That was perfect! Pups at that age were so easily susceptible anyway.

Letting out an evil chuckle, the creature began to back up in order to stay out of sight. Yet as she did, she felt herself run into something hard. A wall? No… there wasn't a wall there before. It was then that the creature slowly looked up to see the smiling muzzle of a large, tan lion.

"Hunting pups tonight, are we?" the lion bellowed in a deep tone. The creature jumped away from him and slowly began to back away.

"Hunting pups?" the creature gasped in an appalled tone, "Why whoever heard of something so despicable as to kill someone so young? I'm not at all like those barbaric hyenas."

"Exactly… you're clearly not a hyena." the lion smiled as he took into account this creatures appearance. Though it was dark, he could see the dirty brown fur and patches of dark spots on her body, "But you're still a wild mutt."

"Uh! How dare you!" replied the creature in an offended tone, "I am a jackal, good sir! A respectable one at that!"

"A jackal you say?" the large lion grinned at this news. She could be just what his master needed. "Hmm… tell me, are your people allowed in the Pride Lands?"

"We're tolerated." Was the jackal's reply, all the while smiling as she continued to back away from the lion, "Many of the animals there don't really trust our kind. Yet, since we haven't committed any-"

"Close enough." Before the jackal could even respond, the lion suddenly looked up and said: "Brin, take her!" The jackal suddenly felt something hard hit her over her head and the already dark world around her turned into a new shade of black as she collapsed onto the ground.

The tan lion looked up to see his brother standing over the jackal, all the while having a skeptical look on his face.

"You sure the Mighty One will take in this jackal, Brang?" Brin asked the larger lion, "I'm not sure her kind can fully be trusted to complete such a task like espionage."

"Who are you? Vita?" Brang replied to his brother in a mocking tone, "The boss said he wanted animals who could go in and out of the Pride Lands undetected. This jackal is as good a place to start as any." It was true. Scar had sent the brothers out to search for agents they could use, but that was a few days ago. So far this jackal was the first creature they've seen that could actually be believable in the Pride Lands. There was honestly no telling where her loyalties would lie, especially after being knocked out by the very lions who wanted to recruit her.

"I'm not so sure about this one, brother." Brin said as he hefted the she jackal onto his back, "What if she doesn't join us?"

"Think of it this way…" Brang reasoned as the two brothers began making their way back to their hideout, "If she doesn't, Zira will have a new scratching post." Both the brothers chuckled at this, but as they walked away, they heard the sound of children laughing in the distance behind them. They knew their mission was to bring back a suitable agent to Scar, but Brin had an idea…

"You think the pack will notice if a pup is missing?" Brin grinned as he looked back in the direction of the children, "It's been a while since I've had a good chase!"

"Same, brother." Brang was thinking the same thing, yet he remembered what Scar had told them before heading out, "Yet it would be risking our exposure. We can't have anyone knowing that we are out here. If a few pups go missing, those traitors in the graveyard will know something is up. Not to mention it wouldn't look good for us if a few pups go missing immediately after the boss just brought in the hyenas back under his alliance."

"Since when did you become Tizamo?" Brin replied in the same mocking tone from earlier. Brin saw the wisdom in his brother's words and would consent to his wishes for now. Still, all this waiting around was making the Fastest in Scar's guard very restless. He wanted to feel the thrill of the hunt; to chase down something and devour it. All of this staying out of sight nonsense was really frustrating. In the end though, if the Mighty One wanted them to stay silent, then he would stay silent. No questions asked.

Brin's mind wondered, as he walked beside his brother, back to one of those pups. He had seen him before, back at Pride Rock. That little mutt was Simba's adopted pet. Whatever reason he had for being out in the Elephant Graveyard, Brin wanted to keep an eye on him and see if he would continue to come back and play with the others. Something about this pup intrigued him. Whether it was his relation to Simba or his backbone he showed back at Pride Rock, Brin found himself wondering how this pup would fair against him in a hunt.

How fast could he run away before Brin caught him? How quickly could his bravery and resolve be broken when Brin catches him? How quickly could his spine snap in Brin's jaws?

"Brin?" Brang noticed his brother had an evil glint in his eye as he walked, "Are you alright? You don't look well."

"Of course, brother." Brin replied, "Nothing to worry about." If this was to be a game of cat and mouse, Brin decided he had best starting picking which mouse to chase. Scar was sure to go after Simba in this conflict, and Zira and the others would probably want to take a jab at the rest of the pride, but Brin had other plans. When the time comes for Scar to make his move, he would be ready to hunt down his little hyena friend and bring him to Simba in pieces. Just thinking about that, made the psychotic lion even more anxious.

"I hope you aren't to attached to that pup, Simba." He whispered to himself, "The moment the Mighty One declares his war on you, your sorry excuse for a son will be mine."

 **END OF CHAPTER 16**

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 **What is with these bad guys always having some crazy vendetta against innocent kids? It's honestly disturbing. Aw well. They are villains for a reason.**

 **I don't know whether to be sorry for Kopa for not coming along, or grateful that he wasn't spotted by Scar's guard.**

 **Looks like Kicheko and the girls are having a fun time. Hm... I wonder if I should make a One Shot of them playing some games in the Graveyard. Any thoughts?**

 **Again, I hope you all enjoyed and please review and let me know what you think.**

 **Until next time guys!**

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 **Reader** **Response**

 **Incarnate Firefly : **

**Scar can be a real pain sometimes. The one thing I'm worried about is how will it all end for Shenzi and her family. Still, at least Kicheko is there to show her daughters what Sisi Ni Sawa means.**

 **Guest:**

 **A Mafia Scar? Lol. That's actually funny to think about.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello and welcome to another chapter!**

 **As usual, thank you** **Incarnate Firefly, Wei816gb** (try saying that 3 times fast), **and LouisianaFan1 for staying up to date with my chapters.**

 **I know that much of the story has been relatively cheery so far, but in the upcoming chapters the mood might take a turn. Depends on how soon Scar wants to start making moves.**

 **Also, for this chapter I've left some little Lion King/Lion Guard Easter Eggs. Let me know if you find them. Whoever finds them all, I'll give you a little hint as to what Simba will find in the next chapter.**

 **Also, one of these Easter Eggs isn't something you can find in books or from the movies. You'd have to see it in person to know what I'm quoting from.**

 **Now... let's see what's up in the Pride Lands!**

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 **Ch. 17 Monkeying Around**

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 **(Back to the Present)**

"And so," Rafiki concluded, "Kicheko, Jasiri, and Madoa met as often as they could each night, growing closer as friends. Little did Kicheko know, however that by doing dis he was shaping de future for both Jasiri and her family." As Rafiki finished that part of the story he looked back at his audience. Kiara and Kovu were laying side by side, enjoying every bit of the story so far. Simba and Nala, on the other hand, were now giving the shaman some very stern looks of disapproval. Honestly… Rafiki should have seen this coming, but he just went along with it.

"What?" he asked innocently. Simba was the first to speak.

"You knew my son took Kicheko out to the Graveyard and you never told us?" the king agitatedly asked. He had no idea Kopa ever did such a thing, and he didn't know that Kicheko was sneaking out at night to go off to the Elephant Graveyard back then. This was one part of the story that neither he nor Nala knew about. Finding this out now, came as a bit of a shock to the Lion King, and he wondered why Rafiki kept this from him.

"Now, now…" Rafiki held up his hands defensively, "At de time I assumed you knew about your sons' actions."

"You honestly thought we would have allowed them to go out to the Elephant Graveyard at night with those… those… monsters running around?!" Nala exclaimed.

"I assume you are talking about Scar's Guard?" Rafiki raised an eyebrow at the king and queen. The Lion King groaned as he caught onto Rafiki's meaning. He knew how Nala's words sounded, but she truly didn't mean it towards the hyenas. It was Scar's followers that she was really referring to.

Knowing that both parents meant well, Rafiki reassured them, "Seeing as how it was just Kicheko who started sneaking out, I thought you were both fine with it. But if it makes you feel better, Kopa rarely went back to de graveyard after dat day."

"Really?" Kiara asked, intrigued by this, "Did he not like going out at night?"

"Not exactly. You see after Kicheko discovered Jasiri's little lie about Kopa being a serval, he…" Rafiki was about to answer, but suddenly noticed Mariffa and Makini approaching him. The two suddenly snapped to attention and said in unison, "All clean, Rafiki!" The old mandrill looked at his tree to see that the mess of colors and broken containers was now all gone and replaced with a nice clear floor. Rafiki chuckled when he saw this. Who knew wood could actually sparkle.

"Very good, you two." Rafiki smiled at his apprentices, "Now, although you will need to get more supplies, I think dat you have both deserved a good long rest. If you like, you can hear de rest of de story, as long as you remain quiet.

"Shwari." Makini replied graciously.

"What?" Kovu had to make sure he heard her right, "What does that mean?"

"It means," Rafiki explained in a jolly tone, "dat she will not interrupt me while I'm telling de story. Right, Makini?"

"Absolutely!" Makini happily nodded, "Thank you so much, Rafiki! I promise you won't hear a word out of me! I'll be as quiet as a mouse! I'll be as silent as a rock! You don't have anything-"

"Please!" Marifa suddenly exclaimed in an aspirated manner, "Just sit down before Uncle Rafiki changes his mind!" Rafiki amusedly watched as Makini let out a nervous laugh before she and Marifa took their seats next to the royal family. Marifa crossed his legs and sat beside Simba and Nala while Makini took a more interesting position.

For whatever reason, she squeezed between Kovu and Kiara and laid belly first on the ground. Kiara just chuckled at this. She knew Makini wanted to be close to her, since they hadn't seen each other in so long, but Kovu did not share Kiara's amusement. Out of all the places Makini could have sat, she decided to go right between him and Kiara _. His_ Kiara.

"Hey!" Kovu groaned, annoyed by what Makini just did, "Do you mind?"

"Hm?" Makini looked up and Kovu and smiled, "Oh, I don't mind at all. You can sit here if you like. Though you're making it kind of cramped." In saying that, she went back to resting her chin on her knuckles as she kicked her feet in the air, waiting for Rafiki to start telling the story again. This of course, left Kovu very confused, and upset.

"But I was already-"

"Ahem!" Kovu was cut off when he heard Kiara clear her throat. He watched as Kiara just shook her head in amusement. She knew Kovu was upset that he wasn't as close to her as he once was, but she knew it wouldn't kill him if he was just a few feet away.

"Don't worry about it." Kiara leaned over and said to him in a hushed tone, "Let's just listen to the story." Kovu opened his mouth to argue, but one stern look from Kiara told him that he should just drop the subject and not worry about Makini. Besides… he could always be on Kiara's other side.

Letting out a reluctant sigh, Kovu walked over to the other side to try to be near Kiara, yet the moment he got around her, he jumped back in shock. Once again, he found that Makini had switched positions and was now lying next to Kiara on the opposite side.

"What the-" Kovu didn't know whether this monkey was deliberately trying to upset him or not, but right now that was exactly what she was doing, "What is your problem?"

"It was getting cramped over there," was Makini's reply, "So I moved over here, thereby eliminating the problem. So now… I don't have a problem."

"Well now I do!" Kovu retorted angrily, "Why can't you just let me sit next to-"

"Master Kovu!" the dark brown lion straightened up when Rafiki addressed him, "If you are done harassing my apprentice, I would very much like to get back to de story." Kovu was at a loss for words at this point. Didn't Rafiki see what Makini did? How could he possibly believe that he was holding up the story?

"But…" Kovu stuttered, trying to understand what was happening right now, "She did… I wasn't… huh?"

"Kovu…" Kiara warned in a low growl, "Please, just let it go so that we can get back to the story." At this point, Kovu just gave up. He didn't mind letting Rafiki harass him; he could take that. Kiara on the other hand… well… if she wasn't happy then there was no hope for him getting out of this conversation alive. Letting out and annoyed sigh, he flopped on the ground next to Makini and rested his chin in between his paws. His nice comfortable spot next to Kiara was now taken by an annoying little deva of a monkey. The ex-Outlander was now starting to understand why Marifa didn't really get along with Makini. Speaking of Marifa…

"Oh the poor cub. That three feet of space away from your girlfriend much be torture." Kovu picked his head up and glared at Marifa, who was now giving him a smug grin.

"Oh shut up banana breath." Kovu mumbled back. Luckily for the both of them, Rafiki didn't notice their banter as he continued to tale of Simba's Reign.

"So the week flew by in a flash and events slowly but surely began to turn. While Scar was reestablishing his power, Kicheko started becoming more and more confident in himself as well as his family, and Simba finally had time to relax and be with his family. Yet in de upcoming days… well… Let's just say dat de Lion King was about to get a visit from an old friend who would soon be both a great help… as well as a great nuisance."

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 **(Back to the Story)**

"Alright folks, I hope you are all comfortable," Timon addressed Simba and his family as he walked down the row to check and make sure his guests were alright, "The show will be starting in a few moments. Pumbaa is just making sure the performers are all in place."

"Hurry it up, meerkat!" Timon looked back to see Beba sitting next to Kopa and Kicheko, and he didn't seem happy, "Some of us have places to be later!"

"Alright, alright! Don't get your tail in a knot." Timon chided as he began walking back to the curtain made up from vines hanging from a tree, "Kids these days. Sheesh!"

Today was a special day in the Pride Lands for Simba and his family. Recently, Timon and Pumbaa had noticed how Simba had been going nonstop with running the Pride Lands and making sure everyone had enough land to live on. The two decided to help out by leasing out their little haven, that they named Hakuna Matata Falls, to certain animals in return for either some favors or for a payment of grubs. So far they were harboring several birds as well as a couple of primates in their humble abode. Timon admitted that their new neighbors were a bit noisy, but he and Pumbaa had gotten so many grubs from them that it was sort of worth it. To top it all off, some of these animals were very fun to be around, which gave Timon and Pumbaa and idea.

Since Simba had been so busy as of late, they decided to invite him and his family over to Hakuna Matata Falls for a special show they had prepared especially for them. Simba of course happily accepted the offer, knowing full well that it had been a while since he had last spent some time with his old palls. He, Nala, Kopa, Kicheko and even their new cheetah cub friend Beba were now seated in a row in front of a large tree next to the Timon and Pumbaa's waterfall. Everyone waited patiently as Timon got things ready, but Beba was starting to become a bit impatient.

"What is taking them so long?" the cheetah cub asked as he tapped his hind leg furiously in a fidgeting manner.

"What's your hurry, Beba?" Kopa asked his friend, "You have to be somewhere?"

"No… not really." Beba groaned, "I just really hate waiting on things like this. I'd rather be doing something, not sitting around waiting on a warthog and meerkat for entertainment." As if on cue, Timon and Pumbaa stepped out from behind the tree and addressed the royal family.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Timon announced with open arms, "Thank you all for coming out here on such short notice. Pumbaa and I have a special event planned for you all today."

"What are you two up to?" Simba asked, which earned a sly look from both the meerkat and warthog. Neither of them had told their best friend why they had invited everyone, so this left Simba very curious as to what was going on.

"You'll see." Pumbaa replied, "You're all going to love it!"

"Yes sir!" Timon added, "Now, let's get this show started!"

"Finally. It's about time." grumbled Beba, which earned him a nudge from Kopa.

Timon then he directed everyone's attention to the top of the tree before exclaiming, "Come on out boys! It's show time!" Simba and the others watched as four orange colored monkeys suddenly came sliding down the vines of the tree, hooting and hollering as they began running all around Timon and Pumbaa, as well as the audience. One of them even leaped onto Simba's head and began picking through his mane. Somehow, he even found a bug in there. Nala laughed at the sight of Simba's mane being groomed by a monkey. Simba, however, didn't share Nala's humor and quickly shook the primate off.

"Awe, ain't that cute?" Pumbaa said as he watched the primates continue to jump around and swing wildly from the vines, "They're excited."

"Guys?" Simba asked, wondering what in the world was going on, "Is this part of the act?"

"Eh heh…" Timon let out a nervous laugh. Of course this wasn't part of the act! Pumbaa was supposed to have calmed these guys down. That was the only reason the show was taking so long to start. These monkeys were acting like they had just gotten a hold of some cocoa beans! Realizing the show could be ruined if something wasn't done, he quickly stepped in.

"Ok guys." Timon clapped his hands together, acting like this was part of the plan, "I know you're all excited but it's time to start the show." Yet the monkeys continued their antics. "Alright guys let's settle down now and get on with it." Still, they weren't listening to him. Timon was starting to get agitated. Balling up his fists, he frustrated said, "For the last time: I… want… QUIEEEEEEET!"

THUD!

Instantly, upon Timon raising his voice, all four monkeys suddenly plopped down in front of the meerkat and looked at him with wide curious eyes.

"Thank you." Timon said sweetly, but that quickly changed, "Now… GET INTO POSSITION BEFORE I TAN ALL YOUR HIDES!" frantically, two of the monkeys began climbing the vines while the other two stood on both sides of Timon and Pumbaa, which caused the meerkat to breathe a sigh of relief. Now that his performers where all in place, Timon cleared his throat and once again addressed his audience, "Ladies and gentlemen. For our first performance, direct from a record breaking 2 million years at the bottom of the evolutionary letter, let's give it up for: The Timon Monkeys!"

Instantly the once wild and unruly monkeys began doing all sorts of perfect acrobatic flips and tricks. Everyone watched in amazement as they swung from vines and leaped into each other's arms, while the two on the bottom began to dance and perform cartwheels and other sorts of unique tricks. Seeing that his performers were finally doing their job, Timon and Pumbaa got off of the stage and out of their way, so that they could go sit next to Simba.

"Wow, Timon." Simba smiled as his friends took a seat next to him, "These guys are pretty good. Where did you find them?"

"Who, these baboons?" Timon thumbed the performers, "Turns out that they were a traveling group of performers who traded their entertainment for food. So, when we found them on our doorstep, we decided to work out a deal. They could stay as long as they could entertain you guys."

"There used to be seven of them." Pumbaa added, "But three of them decided to strike out on their own."

"Just you wait buddy," Timon patted Pumbaa as he hefted up his feet and relaxed, "Once they see how successful we are, those three will be begging to be a part of our show. Yes sir, Urbahoo and his boys come crawling back any day now."

"Actually, Timon." Pumbaa corrected, "I believe his name was Uroho."

"Gasundheit." Timon replied, thinking Pumbaa sneezed. Honestly, Timon wanted to change the subject. Hearing the name of that no good, sleazy con artist of a monkey just really seemed to drop his mood.

"So, Simba old pall," Simba looked away from the performers and back at his friend, "How are they doing so far?" Simba of course loved them. They were all clearly talented and fun to watch. Before he answered Timon's question, however, he looked off to the side where the children were sitting. While they were all focused on the performing monkeys, Simba watched as Kopa, Kicheko, and Beba laughed; having huge grins on their faces.

"I'd say that their doing great. Everyone seems to be enjoying them so far." stated the king.

"Thank goodness for that." Timon sighed as he too watched the kids enjoy the show. Though he and Pumbaa didn't have as strong a connection with Kopa like they did with Simba, they still viewed the prince as a close member of their Hakuna Matata family; even Kicheko. The pup had really started to grow on them. Whether it was his joking nature or the fact that he could actually pronounce their motto right, Timon had to admit that he was a good kid. Now seeing both children with smiles on their faces reminded him of when Simba was a cub. Unlike Simba, at least these two haven't tried to eat him in his sleep… yet.

As the performers continued with their routine, Pumbaa suddenly got very excited.

"Oh! Oh!" the warthog bounced happily in next to his friends, "Here comes my favorite part!" On cue, the monkeys from below ran to some low hanging branches that were on opposite ends of the stage and began swinging on them, building up momentum. Kopa and the others followed the monkey's movements with their heads as they began doing loopy loops on the branches. Though impressive, the sight of twirling monkeys was not for the weak stomach.

"Oooooh…" Beba groaned as he felt himself become light headed. He couldn't wrap his head around how someone could do so many loops over and over again and not get dizzy.

"You ok B boy?" Kicheko asked the cub, using his nick name, when he noticed his pale face, "You don't look to good."

"I'm fine… just… Hmph!" Beba suddenly clamped his paw over his muzzle as his cheeks bloated. Before Kicheko could even ask what was wrong, the cub dashed off with blazing speed towards a nearby bush and began to heave behind it. Timon and Pumbaa merely shook their heads at the sight of the kid losing his lunch. For an animal that could go faster than most, who knew that just watching a couple of monkeys do some loops on a branch could have such a major reaction.

"Could you keep it down back there?" Timon called over his shoulder, remembering the cheetah's inpatients from before, "Some of us have a show to watch." Timon chuckled, thinking that it was funny how he got the cub back for what he said earlier, Simba on the other hand, didn't share Timon's humor. Upon looking back at his friend, Timon saw that Simba was giving him was of those 'really?' looks.

"What?" Timon shrugged innocently, "If you can't stomach it then don't look." Then Timon pointed back at the stage and said, "Now watch! This is the best part!"

The two twirling monkeys from before suddenly launched themselves off from the branches and flew through the air towards the monkeys on the vines. Everyone gasped, thinking that the monkeys were going to crash, but that's what the monkeys wanted them to think. Reacting quickly, the two in the vines gripped their vines with their feet and bent upside down with their hands held wide open. Right before their companions could fly by, they caught them by their legs and held on tightly as the vines began to sway back and forth due to the momentum of the swinging performers. Everyone began cheering as the upside down monkeys began waving their free hands towards everyone, giving the audience a cheerful array of hoots and howlers.

"Woohoo!" Kopa cheered.

"That was awesome!" Kicheko added.

"Ugh…" Beba slowly walked back and sat beside his two friends before moaning, "Yeah… superb… oooohhh…"

"Encore! Encore!" Timon praised as he stepped up and walked onto the stage, signaling that it was all over. "That was perfect! You guys sure earned you stay this time!" Yet the monkeys took Timon's word to heart and began once again starting performing their routine that they had just finished.

"Guys wait!" Pumbaa exclaimed as he watched the monkeys go back to swinging on the branches and vines, "The show's over!"

"It was just an expression!" Timon loudly groaned, referring to the 'encore' he said before, "You can't do the same act twice! It's time to stop!" Upon hearing this, the monkeys stopped what they were doing and looked back at Timon and Pumbaa with expressions of realization on their faces.

"Oooh!" all four monkeys said in unison before stopping what they were doing and climbing back down the vines. Seeing that his performers were now back under control, Timon directed his attention back to Simba and his audience.

"So everyone," Timon began, "How was that for a show?" Everyone clapped their paws together and cheered for Timon's performers. They loved them, and Timon knew it. It was a good thing that this was just the beginning of a long list of performances that Timon had prepared. Little did Timon know, however, was that while he was speaking, the monkeys were beginning to tear down the set behind him, cleaning up everything.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Timon began again, "For our next performance, I will-"

"Sire! Everyone! Yoo-hoo!" Timon's announcement was cut short when an all too familiar voice caught everyone's attention. Simba and his family looked back at the sound of the voice, and low and behold, it was none other than the Major Domo himself.

"Zazu!" Nala greeted with delight as she watched the hornbill come swooping in and landing in front of Simba, "Your back!" It was such a pleasure to see the hornbill again. Though it was only a few weeks, not having him around proved to make running the Pride Lands difficult.

"Quite right." Zazu replied with a sigh of relief, "And I must say it is good to be home."

"How was the trip?" Simba asked, "My mother told me that you were out performing a special errand for her."

"Ah yes…" Zazu remembered, "It was quite the venture." Sarabi hadn't told Simba why she had sent him away in the first place. Which only meant that Simba, as well as everyone else, was in for quite a surprise.

"So… what was the errand Grandma sent you for?" Kopa asked.

"Well…" Zazu slowly began, looking back towards the boarder, "If you would all just follow me, then I will show you." Simba and the others gave the hornbill a confused look as they watched him take flight and hover by their heads.

"Show us?" Simba asked, "Show us what?"

"You'll see." Zazu smiled before ascending higher into the air, "Now come along, Sire. It's not polite to keep out guests waiting."

"Guests?" Simba repeated, "What are you talking about? Zazu!" Yet it was too late. The hornbill had already flew away towards the boarder. He didn't know what Zazu was up to, but apparently he had brought visitors on his way back. As usual, there was little rest for the weary.

"Simba?" Nala addressed her mate, seeing how he let out a long sigh, "We should probably go see what's going on."

"I agree." Simba said halfheartedly, "If Zazu brought someone back then we need to greet them." It pained Simba to leave so soon. Knowing Timon and Pumbaa, they had more than this planned for him today. He hated to leave them so soon, but he had duties to attend to.

"Excuse me, your kingliness." Timon cleared his throat, getting Simba's attention, "So can we get back to the show, or do you have other things to do?" Simba could tell by Timon's blunt tone that he was ticked off by Zazu's interruption, so he tried to break it to Timon… gently.

"I'm… sorry to leave so soon, guys." Simba sincerely said, "But I've got to go see what is going on with Zazu."

"Why am I not surprised?" Timon said as he slumped his shoulders in annoyance and disappointment. The one moment he could spend some time with his old buddy and he leaves once again to do some royal thing; typical Simba. At least Pumbaa looked at the bright side of things.

"Don't worry, Simba," the warthog said in a happy manner, "You got to check on the guests Zazu brought. We understand. Right Timon?"

"Oh yes…" Timon said in a depressed tone, not noticing the bits of wood and leaves being chucked behind him by the monkeys, "We understand why our buddy who we raised from a cub has to leave us for more important things. What is a kind gesture from two old friends compared to the visit from a stranger? Of course, Pumbaa. Of course we understand why Simba has to leave us." Simba caught on to Timon's sarcasm, which really didn't help make this situation any more disappointing for him as well.

"I'm sorry guys," Simba said sympathetically, "But I really have to go. I promise I'll make it to the next show." In saying that, Simba got up and began heading off towards the boarder with Nala following close behind him.

"Well isn't that just peachy?" Timon said as he gestured to Simba and Nala walking off, "Three hours of material, down the drain, thanks to that no good blabber mouth bird coming back." Though Timon was being sarcastic, the kids didn't catch on.

"It's ok guys." Kopa said, trying to cheer up his uncles, "We'll stay and watch your show." Normally Kopa would have went off with his dad to see what was going on, but he really wanted to see what was next. Those monkeys were awesome to watch!

"Yeah." Kicheko chimed in, "Those guys were great!"

"Really?" Timon asked hopefully, "You guys will stay?" This earned a nod from the kids in return. Seeing these youngsters smile at him and ask for another act lifted the young meerkat's spirit. They may not be Simba… but they were still family. Plus, he had to do something to keep these monkeys busy.

"Well now," Pumbaa stated, "It looks like the show is back on!"

"Alright then!" Timon happily exclaimed, "Let's get to it." Everyone was hopping for another act from the monkeys, but Timon had something different in mind, "For our next performance I'm going to put on a grass skirt and do the Hula!"

"What?" the kids gasped in unison. A Hula? What did that even mean?

"Now everyone," Timon stated, "Just let me get- WHAT THE?!" upon turning around, Timon and Pumbaa saw that the entire stage was nearly destroyed as the monkeys continued to tear up the vines and break up the floor wood. What had happened to their set?

"Something wrong guys?" Kopa asked. He honestly thought that his uncles noticed the stage being torn up behind them. The cub just figured that it was all part of the act. Timon, however, didn't pay any attention to his nephew as he began harassing his performers.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you monkeys doing?" the meerkat exclaimed, "Why are you packing up? We're about to do our snappy songs of the South Seas number!" Yet as usual, the monkeys weren't listening, "Heloooooo? Get back here! We're not done yet!" Meanwhile, Kopa and the others were just watching from the sidelines, not understanding what was going on.

"Is this part of the act?" Kopa leaned over and asked his friends.

"How should I know?" Beba replied, "Does it look like I know how to Hula?"

"Speaking of which," Kicheko pointed out, "What is a Hula? Or a South Seas for that matter?" As they were talking, however, they suddenly heard Timon scream something at the performers.

"You know what?" Timon said as he pointed his finger at the performers, "Forget it. I'm not dealing with this anymore! You guys are fired!" Timon couldn't take it anymore. He and Pumbaa were better off without these guys anyway. What's the point of having performers if they weren't going to listen to him? Yet, it didn't look like the monkeys were all too fond of Timon's decision.

"All right kids," Timon addressed the audience, trying to press on with the show, "It looks like Pumbaa and I are going to have to do a- AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" before Timon realized what happened, all the monkeys suddenly rushed him and lifted him up in the air and started carrying him away.

"Timon." Pumbaa stated as he watched his friend be carried off, "I don't think they're happy you fired them." Timon ignored Pumbaa's obvious comment and tried to reason with the monkeys the only way he knew how: with shouting.

"What's the big idea?!" screamed Timon as the monkeys continued to walk away with him, "What's going on here? Put me down! Bad monkeys! Bad, bad monkeys!" On the sidelines, the kids just sat there and watched the meerkat be dragged off by his ex-performers.

"Should we help him?" Kopa asked, concerned for his uncle's safety.

"Nah," Kicheko said with a wave of his paw, "This is more entertaining to watch anyway."

"PUMBAAAAAAA!" Timon screamed as the monkeys carried him out of sight, "DO SOMETHING!"

"Uh…" Pumbaa rubbed his hoof underneath his chin as he thought long and hard on what he should do. He knew Timon would be fine; the monkeys wouldn't do anything to harmful to him. Then there was the kids he had to worry about. No doubt they were all expecting a performance from Timon, but now that the meerkat was 'preoccupied' it was up to him to continue the act. Suddenly, Pumbaa got an idea to save the show. He looked down at the kids and said, "Be right back." Normally this was Timon's role, but the warthog figured that it wouldn't hurt if he tried it out. After all, how hard could a Hula be?

Kopa and the others watched as Pumbaa suddenly went behind the tree and began grunting and groans for some reason. The sound of items breaking and things tearing filled the air, which made everyone wonder what Pumbaa was doing.

"Ok everyone!" Pumbaa announced happily as he stepped back out, "Who's ready to shake their rump?" Instantly, everyone's jaws dropped at the sight. Kicheko even covered Kopa's eyes it was so bad. It was like a dying flower had suddenly budded up half a warthog. Pumbaa's mid-section was completely covered by a skirt while a flower neckless hung around his neck. Needless, to say, there was a reason he was never picked for the part of the main dancer for this skit.

"Uhhhhh…" Beba stuttered, trying to find the words to say. Of course… there were none. The only thing the cub could do now was get out before he seeing anything else that would cause him to lose his lunch… again. Getting up and brushing himself off he began, "Oh darn. I just remembered that my Mom needs me for… something. So… yeah… gotta run!" Instantly he dashed off, leaving a trail of dust in his path. Kopa knew Beba wanted to leave, and right now he was thinking the same thing.

"Oh shoot." Kopa said nervously, trying to find a believable story to tell, "Sorry Uncle Pumbaa, but Dad said he needed me to remind him of… something." Not knowing what else to say, the young prince got up and started running in the direction his parents went. Now he was really starting to wish he had gone with them earlier.

"Yeah…" Kicheko sighed as he looked at his dumbstruck uncle, "I've got no excuse. Thanks again for the show. Tell Timon it was great!" As the pup ran off after Kopa, Pumbaa sat down on the broken stage and watched his nephews run off in the distance. He knew that they were all trying to run away, but he couldn't understand why.

"Was it something I said?"

END OF CHAPTER 17

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 **Lol. Poor Timon. It's so hard managing a bunch of apes.**

 **If anyone one has ever been to Disney Parks in animal Kingdom, then you might recognize some of the phrases from the Festavile of the Lion King in this chapter. I thought it would be fun to have some of that play in with the story.**

 **I wonder who's waiting for Simba by the boarder. We won't know till next time.**

 **Until next time, this is RogueLion signing off.**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

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 **Review Response**

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 _ **Zira does have a long way to go before she's ready to lead, but now with Scar training her she'll learn a few thing. Maybe even about the Roar and its Origins? Who knows?**_

 _ **It would appear that Scar is adding in the jackals, but is it a jackal we know?**_

 **Wei816gb:**

 ** _If you mean Kopa and Kicheko then who knows? If you mean Brin and Brang, then who knows? That will be something that you must read and decide for yourself._**

 **LouisianaFan1:**

 _ **Well... they don't know Janja or Shenzi or the other hyenas. They've only ran into the nicer ones and I don't think they are interested in killing them any time soon.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**"Naaaaaaaaants igonyaaaaaaaaaaaaa bagithi-babaaaa!"**_

 **Hello all! Hope you're having a happy Saturday.**

 **Besides the fact that Disney has just confirmed the actors for the new Lion King movie, I'm so excited because in the past 2 weeks, this story past the 100 review mark! Though... past is an understatement. You guys blew through it! One moment it's 93 reviews, then after the last chapter it just jumped up to 134! I am both blown away and shocked by the turn out, seeing as this is my first ever story posted on this site. I'm so happy you are all enjoying it and please keep on showing the support by reading and reviewing this chapter. You guys are awesome and I look forward to hearing from you at the end.**

 **But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I got some shout-outs to make!**

(Note, I shout out to people who have reviewed on the latest chapter so if you want a shoutout, make sure you are caught up with the story. In case anyone is wondering.)

 **Big thanks to Redwallover28, SunRise19, Incarnate Firefly, yingyangmaster, dragonbond007, Toothless** **1998** , and **Gracekim1 for your reviews and for staying up with the story. And thank you also to Dragonbon007 once again for the OC suggestion. If anyone sees his character then let me know in a review. **

**Now enough chit chat... let's see who this special gust that Zazu brought back is.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Ch. 18 Say Hello to Uncle Simba, Kids**

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It had been so long since he had seen these lands… so long since he had last heard word from anyone at Pride Rock. When last he had been here, the Pride Lands were nothing more than a graveyard of black soil and rotten flesh. To see it now, full of life and green, it brought a bit of nostalgia to the lion. He thought he would never see the day where this land would ever be how it was during his youth. Whoever was in charge now was clearly doing a good job. Yet that was the question he had asked both Zazu and himself ever since he was invited back to this kingdom; who was now running the Pride Lands?

According to Zazu Scar was gone, yet he doubted his son took his place. Last he checked, Nuka and Zira were sent away from the Pride Lands, not to mention he heard of how Nuka was still just a cub. Was Scar overthrown? If so, then by whom? Such attempts were made in the past to liberate these lands and every time each rescuer was met with failure, humiliation, or death. All the lion knew was that Sarabi wanted to speak to him about assisting in helping the Pride Lands get restored to its former glory. Even though there was clear signs that the Pride Lands were improving, it wasn't entirely restored. Some species hadn't returned yet, and some patches of territory had yet to regain their full beauty. Still… it brought the lion comfort to see life once again return to this land, despite how little of it there was.

Stepping into a small meadow, the lion swept his large tannish orange paw through the blades of grass, admiring the simple beauty of green in a land that had been filled with darkness for years. Taking in a deep breath, the lion felt of gust of wind blow through his mixed black and blond colored mane. It didn't feel coarse and with hard gravel like it used to. Now… it was crisp, cool, and gentle to the touch. Oh how he had missed such simplicities. Though such things were common in his old kingdom, it all just seemed… different… here in the Pride Lands. Better? More calming? Perhaps… but it all just showed that there was a certain wonder… a certain magic… that this land possessed that made it stand out from any other land in all of Africa. That's why so many prides, as well as kingdoms, were devastated when they saw the results of Scar's rule. All it took was one lion, one generation, to destroy what so many considered the crown jewel of the Savannah.

"Was it as you remembered, my king?" a deep voice suddenly spoke up behind the lion. He looked back to see a large, bulky lion with a tan pelt and light orange mane suddenly walk up next to him. He seemed anxious, but who could blame him? Many animals, both lions and other species, go their entire lives dreaming of just getting a small glance at these incredible lands.

"Not really… but it's definitely a lot greener then the last time I was here." The lion replied, looking back at his friend, "Is this your first time in the Pride Lands?"

"Nah." The tan lion replied, "I came with my father once, during his travels. Though I was extremely young at the time. I only remember bits and pieces."

"Well…" the king nudged his friend, "What do you think of it now?"

"Hmmm…" the lion shifted his square, tan muzzle as he looked out at the Pride Lands, contemplating on how he saw this land in the past compared to it now, "It looks the same to me."

"Are you serious?" the king gasped, "This land looks nothing like it did when Scar took it over!"

"Well my family history says otherwise." The lion stated with confidence, "Have I ever told you about when my great-great-grandmother-"

"Yes, Leo." The king addressed the lion with a groan as he rolled his eyes, "You've told me a thousand times. Yet I've yet to believe a single word of it."

"Then you should know," the lion, named Leo continued, "that she was involved in the Great Giraffe Conflict that brought about great turmoil to the land during Mohatu's youth. She single handedly-"

"Sire? Leo?"

"Oh thank the Kings!" the king breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the new voice. Leo had a tendency to go on and on about his so called 'Family Tree' which was made up of supposed heroes and legends. Despite his claims… it would seem that the only one who knew about the legendary deeds of his ancestors was Leo himself. The last thing the king wanted to do was have to listen to one of his guards rant about made up tales of his family's past.

The newcomer was another lion who was younger then he and Leo; just appearing to be leaving his adolescence. He had light brown fur and a small black mane that had just recently fully covered his head and chest. He appeared to be a bit hesitant as he approached, but the king didn't notice. Honestly, he was just glad that he came when he did.

"Oh, Ikkane, my boy!" the king greeted, cutting Leo off, "Thank the spirits of Mufasa, Uru, Ahadi, Mohatu and every other dead monarch who ever reigned that you came!" This greeting earned a shy look from the young brown lion, while Leo just gave his king an annoyed expression. Why did he always avoid listening to his ancestor's tales? Leo wasn't sure, but he figured that disrespecting one's past feats was considered a capital crime in other prides… maybe.

"Um…" Ikkane stuttered, "Your Grace… Mega sent me to check and see if it was ok if we could bring the cubs past the borders. They're… um…"

"Anxious to see the Pride Lands?" the king finished, to which the young lion, known as Ikkane, gave a small nod. Of course, leave it to Mega to be the cautious one of the group. The king just smiled and said: "I was wondering why you two fell behind. Of course! Bring them! They deserve to see this glorious land after the trip they endured." Ikkane merely bowed his head in response, yet before he left, Leo decided to speak up.

"Sire," Leo cut in, looking a bit concerned by what his majesty just said, "Is that wise? We don't know whether or not this new ruler is dangerous. What if he attacks us the moment he sees us? The children are always the first thing males go for whenever-"

"Leo…" the king shook his head in amusement, "Has anyone told you that you worry too much?"

"Has anyone told you that you don't worry enough?" Leo countered. The tannish orange lion just rolled his eyes as he looked back at Ikkane and sent him away with a wave of his paw. As the young lion began making his way back to Mega and the children, the king said to Leo: "If this guy was such a bad king then Zazu would have told us. You honestly think he came all that way just to bring us to the Pride Lands to be ambushed by a tyrannical bloodthirsty maniac?"

"Well…" Leo thought about it for a second, "When you put it like that…"

"Your highness!" the king and Leo looked back at the sound of the familiar voice to see Zazu flying back towards them. Honestly it was about time he came back.

"Zazu! There you are!" the king hailed as the hornbill swooped down and landed in front of the king and his guard. He seemed very happy. Of course, the king couldn't blame him. It was a long journey from the Stone Lands to the Pride Lands.

"So, the banana beak finally returns." Leo laughed, which earned an annoyed look from Zazu. In all honesty, he was glad that this little venture was finally over. Now he could go a day without being harassed, or listening to one of Leo's outrageous stories.

"So?" the king began anxiously, "Where is Sarabi?"

"Don't you worry," Zazu assured him, "Sarabi has already been notified of your arrival. However, before we go to Pride Rock, I believe it is only fitting that you meet the new king of the Pride Lands."

"Yeah… that's actually something I've been curious about." The orange lion replied, "Who is in charge now? If not Sarabi then-"

"Malka?!"

The king's eyes widened and his head shot up at the sound of his name being called. Looking up, he saw a site that made his jaw drop. First off… there was Nala. Despite not having seen her since they were both cubs, he could easily recognize those beautiful teal eyes anywhere. It shocked the king to see how much she had grown. Yet… what truly shocked him, was who stood next to her. It was like looking at a ghost. That red mane… that golden pelt… it reminded him so much of the loving lion who took him in for a time during his youth: Mufasa. This lion, however, held a different face; the face of a good friend whom he believed was long dead and gone from this world. But he couldn't be him! There was no way…

"Is that you?!" the red maned lion asked again. Whoever this lion was, he looked just as shocked to see him.

"Who… who are you?" Malka gasped, unwilling to believe what his eyes were telling him. There was no way! There was absolutely no way that he was still alive!

"Malka… it's me! Simba!"

"S-Simba?" Malka repeated in disbelief. There was a moment of silence as both Malka, as well as Simba and Nala, just stared at each other in silence, and shock. None of them could believe who they were seeing. On the sidelines, Zazu just watched with amusement, loving the priceless look on everyone's faces as they looked at their old cubhood friend. He knew keeping Simba's return a secret from Malka would create a shocking reunion. Leo, however, was a little in the dark as to what was taking place.

"Your highness?" Leo addressed his king, Malka, "Is everything-" Yet before he could say another word, Malka and Simba suddenly charged at each other and slammed each other in a huge embrace, laughing and smiling.

"Bro!" Malka exclaimed with joy as he and Simba staggered a bit from ramming each other so hard, "You're alive! You're actually alive!"

"You're actually here!" Simba exclaimed in an equally excited manner, "Where have you been? I've missed you!"

"You've missed _me_?" Malka scoffed a laugh as he pulled away from Simba and looked him over, "I'm the one believing you've been dead all of this time! If anything, I've missed you! We all have!" Malka had no words to describe how he was feeling at this point. His best friend from his childhood was still alive. This wasn't a dream… this wasn't a hallucination… this was real. This was actually real! Malka was just… overwhelmed with joy. Not since his cubs were born had he felt such happiness. Picking up his head, he then noticed Nala heading towards him, wearing a very similar gleeful expression.

"Malka!" she greeted, wrapping a paw around his neck and pulling him in for a hug, "It's so good to see you again!"

"You to. Both of you…" Malka gasped as he was just overcome with emotions, "Oh you guys!" The three friends just took a moment, relishing the joy of seeing each other for the first time in years. So many questions were now buzzing in Malka's head. How was Simba alive? Where had he been all this time? How did he defeat Scar when so many others had failed? For now… none of that truly mattered. All that mattered was that his best friend… his brother… was alive and well. Of course, not everyone made sense of what was going on.

"Now hold on a minute!" Leo growled as he walked up to the group. He hated being left out of the loop of things, "Sire, how do you know this lion? Who is he?"

"He's the new Lion King, genius!" Malka smugly replied to the slow going lion, "You know of Mufasa, right? Well this is his son!" Leo's eyes widened when realized this. The king and heir of the Pride lands wasn't just any king, he was _the_ king. All of the tales and exploits of every Lion King who ever ruled these lands instantly go down into legend, and this lion was a descendant of them. Instantly, Leo fell flat on his face as he began mumbling apologies and good wishes to the king and queen. This earned a laugh from Nala and Simba while Malka just rolled his eyes at the sight of his guard groveling to his best friends. As Malka looked back at Simba, he realized just how old he was now. Both of them were adults with their own kingdoms to rule. Gosh… it truly had been years since they last seen each other.

A long time ago, during a trip to a fellow pride, Malka got separated from his parents and wandered into the Pride Lands. During that time, Mufasa was still ruling and he welcomed him to stay until they located his pride. Naturally, everyone was excited about the concept of having another cub around Pride Rock… well… almost everyone. Simba wasn't too thrilled about the idea. As a cub, Simba thought Malka was a sleazy, smooth talking, show off. It also didn't help that Mufasa and Sarabi considered the possibility of adopting Malka if his parents were never found. Simba, of course was against that idea entirely. Like most petty grudges, though, this one just simply faded over time. After playing a 'friendly' game of hide and seek, as well as outrunning a pair of hyenas on occasion, Simba and Malka began to grow close. Though Mufasa never truly adopted him, Simba and Malka became close like brothers, in a way.

In the end, Malka's parents found him and he returned home to his kingdom, but from time to time he would always stop by and visit his two best friends in the whole world: Simba and Nala. Yet after the supposed death of Mufasa and Simba, Malka's pride forbade anyone from traveling to the Pride Lands. Now… after all this time… Malka felt like he was reliving those moments as a cub, greeting and happily talking with his friends.

"So what are you doing here?" Simba asked as he and Nala composed themselves.

"Hold on now…" Malka stopped him, "You don't have the right to ask me that!"

"Malka?" Nala asked, as she and Simba gave their friend a questioning look. He wasn't angry, but he did keep a serious tone, even though his face said otherwise.

"You…" Malka shook his paw at Simba, but his smile never left his face, "You somehow survive a stampede of wildebeest, then disappear for Great Kings know how many years, then all of a sudden you come back and reclaim the Pride Lands and become the Lion King, and you're asking me what _I'm_ doing here?"

"Well you see…" Simba gave Malka a guilty look, but before he could say anything, Malka cut him off.

"Uh-uh." Malka shook his head, "No way I'm telling you anything until you tell me everything that happened! And I mean _everything_!" This earned a moment of silence as Simba and Nala looked back at one another. They knew Malka probably wouldn't believe them if they told him what really took place, but they also knew that Malka wasn't the only one who had apparently come to see them.

"It's a…" Simba began slowly, "Long story, Malka."

"It better be!" Malka laughed as he gave Simba a slap on the back, "I'd hate to hear that you'd been living a boring life all these years away from home."

"Oh, unfortunately he has." Nala said, giving her mate a knowing look. Simba, of course didn't share Nala's viewpoint on the matter.

"Excuse me?" Simba responded at Nala's remark, "Since when is being rescued by a meerkat and warthog count as boring?"

"Since you started living by that Hakuna Matata motto of theirs."

"Hakuna Matata?" Simba and Nala looked back at the new voice in the conversation, and saw the tan lion next to Malka suddenly stand up, and address them with confidence: "That was a saying invented by 3rd Uncle, twice removed, during his scouting mission to the Cloud Pride! It means 'worry all the time and never look back'. There is nothing boring about it." Upon hearing this, Simba didn't know whether to laugh, or to be worried. Besides the fact that this guy _clearly_ didn't know what he was talking about, Simba hadn't really noticed him until just now.

"Uh…" Simba honestly didn't know how to respond to that. As a matter of fact… "Who are you again?" Leo was about to open his mouth, but Malka shrugged him out of the way before he continued to make more of a fool out of himself.

"So sorry about him." Malka said, giving Simba a nervous look before properly introducing his friend, "He's Leo. He's one of my personal guardsmen and a good friend. You got nothing to worry about from him." Malka then pulled Simba in close and whispered in his ear: "Just don't let him start ranting about his relatives. The way he talks makes you think his ancestors were gods." Simba looked back and forth between Malka and Leo for a moment. After hearing what Leo just said, it didn't surprise Simba that this was the case.

"Noted." Simba whispered back to Malka. Pulling away from his friend, he addressed the newcomer: "Welcome, Leo. It is a pleasure to have you both visit us. We hope you enjoy yourselves during your stay here." Though Leo was still a bit annoyed that Malka introduced him to Simba before he could address the king himself, he was still gracious to Simba's hospitable tone and nature.

"The pleasure is all ours, your highness." Leo bowed his head in respect to Simba, "Though, I hope you don't mind, but we brought a few more visitors with us."

"Really?" Nala asked looking around to see if they were nearby, "Where are they?"

"They're on their way," Malka assured them, "My other guards decided to keep the kids behind, just in case if something bad were to happen. But they should be here any moment now."

"Kids?" Simba repeated with a raised eyebrow. The Lion King knew he had visitors, but he figured Zazu was just referring to 'one' person, not a group. He was about to ask something else but suddenly, his ears caught the sound of rushing paws and laughing coming from behind Malka. Looking behind his old friend, Simba was shocked when he saw two other adult male lions walking casually towards them, all the while having not one, not two… but five cubs with them.

"Dad! Dad!"

"Daddy! Uncle Leo!"

Simba watched as two of the five cubs suddenly came rushing towards them and ran straight to Malka. His friend merely laughed as the two cubs ran into him, knocking him down on the ground, all the while laughing and giggling. Both shared Malka's orange fur color, but one was a boy with an un-kept black patch of fur on his head, while the other was a girl with a well-groomed coat of fur and a light pink nose.

"Hahahaha!" Malka busted out laughing as he began play wrestling with his apparent cubs, "You thought you could pull a fast one on me, huh?"

"Is this it, Dad?" the boy cub excitedly asked, "Are we finally here?"

"Take a look for yourself." Malka said as he gestured to land before them. Both cubs, paying no heed to Simba or Nala, looked out at the savannah before them and was in awe at the site. All their lives, they had heard stories from their father and mother about this place. Now, that they were finally here, they were so excited to see what was out there. Meanwhile, the other cubs were still running around playing with each other. Though they were excited to finally be in the Pride Lands, they still wanted to finish their game of tag.

"Wow!" the girl cub exclaimed as she and her brother noticed the small figure of Pride Rock out in the distance, "Is that Pride Rock, Daddy?"

"It sure is, sweetie." Malka sighed happily as he got to his feet. It honestly had been too long since he last saw such a beautiful sight.

"Can we go there, Dad? Can we? Can we?" the boy asked excitedly as he began jumping up and down with glee.

"Now hold on, you two." Malka scolded in a playful tone, "We just got here. Pride Rock isn't going anywhere, however, before we go there is someone really special I want you to meet." Looking back at Simba, Malka noticed the curious look in his eyes. Though he still wanted Simba to tell him everything that happened since the stampede, he knew that he would be pestered to no end once he learned who these two little rascals were. Wanting to get the introductions out of the way, Malka bent his head down to get on the cub's level and said to both of them: "Kids… say hello to your Uncle Simba." Both children looked up to see Simba smiling at them. His large build and bright red mane were like nothing they ever seen before. Of course… their dad had a better looking mane in their opinion, but that didn't stop the kids from being impressed.

"Hi, Uncle Simba," the girl cub greeted first, "I'm Tammy."

"And I'm Afua." The boy followed his sister's example, bowing his head in a curt nod.

"Nice to meet you." Simba greeted the young cubs. He then picked his head up and looked at his best friend, giving him a sly look, "So… you finally settled down eh?"

"What can I say?" Malka shrugged, "Ruling a kingdom can get pretty boring. I needed someone to help. Besides… you know the tradition about having an heir by your second ruling year. You think cubs grow on trees?" Simba smiled at that response. It wouldn't be long until he would be introducing Kopa and Kicheko to everyone. They were sure to enjoy the company of other lion cubs. Yet, now that Simba though about it, who were the others in Malka's group? Looking around, Simba watched the other cubs running around the other male lions. They didn't seem to notice Simba or Nala and they just aimlessly ran around playing with each other. Curious about them, Simba asked: "So… are they yours to, Malka?"

"Oh Great Kings, No!" Malka gasped when he heard that, "I have enough work on my paws looking after these two. Those others are Mega's kids. Speaking of which…" Malka looked back at the two other guards and exclaimed: "Mega! Ikkane! Get your tails over here! Front and center!" Instantly the two lions watching over the cubs came and stood by Malka, their posture straight and their expressions serious. Seeing that the adults were now busy, Aufa and Tammy decided to wait over by Zazu. They still couldn't believe they were here... in the Pride Lands at long last!

As Simba looked at the newcomers, he noticed Mega had bright dark green eyes, as well as a light tan pelt, just like the other three cubs had. His mane had a light autumn orange color to it, sort of like Leo's mane except a bit brighter. Ikkane, on the other hand a brown pelt of fur and a black mane, like Malka's except without any hint of blond in his features. His eyes, however, intrigued the Lion King. One had a deep green color while the other maintained a light aqua blue color. Truly a unique trait, rare amongst lions, or any other animal for that matter.

"Simba," Malka cleared his throat, "May I present my guard captain, Mega as well as our newest member to my guard, Ikkane." In saying this, both lions gave Simba a polite bow at the exact same time before each of them addressed Simba separately.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, your grace." Mega started, giving Simba a sincere smile. Ikkane tried his best to follow suit.

"Y-Yes…" Ikkane stuttered, trying his best to remain casual while in the presence of royalty, "It's… such and honor… your grace. No words can describe-" before Ikkane could continue, Simba just started laughing suddenly, which earned a surprised look from Mega, while Ikkane grew worried. Did he do something wrong? Did this king not like him? Was it his eyes? It had to be his eyes… as usual. Yet to the young lion's surprise, Simba composed himself and explained: "There is no need for that."

"What?" Mega and Ikkane looked back at each other, trying to understand what Simba was referring to, yet as they looked back at the Pride Lands king, he explained: "Any friend of Malka is a friend of mine. Please, call me Simba."

"Um…" Ikkane bit his lip, trying to find the best way to respond without making himself look like a fool, "Thank you… Simba?"

"With confidence, Ikkane." Malka suddenly stepped in and instructed the young lion, "You have to remain composed, even when acting casual. That is the way of the guard."

"S-Sorry!" Ikkane stuttered, quickly composing himself and putting on a serious face, "Thank you Simba. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." This of course confused Simba a bit. It didn't matter to him if Ikkane was confident or not, but the fact that Malka stepped in and instructed Ikkane on what to do concerned him a bit. What did the young lion do wrong?

"Children!" Simba snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Mega call out: "Come here real quick." Instantly the three other cubs came running up to their father and sat right in front of him as they looked up at the Lion King with interest. They had heard a great deal about Simba from Malka. To see the lion standing here, alive and well, was a big deal to them. Having his cubs in front of him, Mega explained: "Simba, this is my son, Babu, and these are my daughters, Timira and Boga."

"Nice to meet you sir." Boga and Babu said in unison. Their unique synchronized greeting took Simba back for a moment. Though they were son and daughter, they obviously shared nearly every similar trait, as if they were twins. Their tan fur, their amber eyes, even their hair on top of their heads seemed similar. Babu honestly reminded Simba when he was a cub, being a boy with so little hair during his youth. Yet… the one cub on the end didn't say anything. She just looked off to the side, unwilling to meet Simba's gaze. Mega noticed this to, and decided to nudge his eldest along.

"Timira… First born…" Mega began, trying to encourage his daughter to respond "This is Simba. He's going to be letting us stay at Pride Rock. Now say hello." The cub turned and looked up at Simba with a curious look. Simba watched as the little one cocked her head to the side, as if she was trying to make heads or tails on what to think about him. Simba had to admit, unlike Babu and Boga, Timira had a slightly darker cream coat and her eyes had bright blue shade about them. According to Mega she was the oldest, but the king could only wonder what was going on inside that curious mind of hers. Finally she spoke up.

"Are you're really Simba?" Simba couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the cub's innocent question.

"I'm pretty sure I am." Was his reply, "Why? Did Malka tell you that I was dead?"

"No, it's not that." Timira explained, "Mr. Malka told me that you had a mane so small that you looked like a lioness. You… don't look like a lioness." Nala instantly busted out laughing, while Simba was left dumbstruck by what the cub just said.

"Timira!" Mega gasped as he put his paw in front of his daughter in hopes Simba didn't take too much offence. Wanting to save face, Mega instantly began to plead: "Please forgive her, my king. She did not understand-" Yet that was when Mega realized Simba wasn't looking at him at all. He was currently glaring at Malka. It was no secret that Malka and everyone else during his cubhood teased him about not having much of a mane growing up, but the fact that he told others that certain detail… well… let's just say that saying Simba was annoyed would be an understatement.

"H-Hey! Don't look at me!" Malka instantly tried to defend himself as Simba narrowed his eyes menacingly at him, "I did not say that! That was all my mate's words! Lion Guard's honor!" Simba of course wasn't buying it for a second and cuffed the side of Malka's face with his paw.

"Suppose I even believe that," Simba began as Malka rubbed the sore side of his head, "Who is your mate? She sounds like a piece of work."

"Um…" Malka began, already foretelling how Simba and Nala would react, "Tama?"

"What?!" Simba gasped before busting out laughing in a mocking tone as he realized who Malka married, "You got together with that stuck up peacock dressed in lioness skin?"

"Simba!" Nala scolded, not at all happy with his choice of words, especially while Malka's cubs were present. Growing up, Nala was fairly close to Tama, but Simba always seemed to butt heads with her for some reason. Nala never knew whether it was for her favor as her so called, 'best friend', or the fact that he and Tama never really saw eye to eye on certain things; either way, they hated each other's guts growing up. Though Simba pitied Malka for hooking up with, who he figured to be, a crocodile rather than a lioness; Nala was happy that her friend had gotten together with someone like Malka.

"Ignore him. It's nice to meet you all." Nala smiled, trying to dissolve the tension between the two kings at this point, "And congratulations, Malka. I'm so happy for you both. How has Tama been?"

"Honestly?" Malka shrugged, wanting to get away from the topic of Simba's hair as soon as possible before he lost a limb, "She's been doing well. Unfortunately, she had to stay behind to run the kingdom while the kids and I took the fieldtrip to get here."

"Oh, that's too bad." Simba said in a teasing manner, "I would have liked to see her again and let her know I'm alright." Though his words sounded sincere, Malka and Nala could pick up the sarcastic tone behind it. Nala was about to get on Simba for acting like an overgrown cub, but Malka beat her to it.

"You know…" Malka said with a shrug of his shoulders, "Tama was very sad when she heard you were supposedly dead."

"Really?" Simba asked, his tone and voice taking a more concerned manner when he heard this. Yet, his hope that Tama may not had been so bad was quickly dashed.

"Yeah…" Malka sighed, though he kept his signature grin on his face, "She hoped when you died that you weren't in too much pain." Simba's face instantly deadpanned when he heard that. Of course… that sounded like something Tama would say.

"Well it's nice to know she cared." was Simba's droll reply. Now, seeing as how Simba was once again annoyed, Nala tried to once again change the subject.

"So… I'm sure you're all exhausted from your travels. I know a trip all the way from the Stone Lands can be really tiring."

"It… was an adventure." Malka said, trying to find the words to properly describe the long grueling journey, "But we can talk about that when we get to Pride Rock."

"Well then…" Simba began, looking back down at the cubs as he asked in an excited tone: "You all want to see where I live?" His question was met with numerous 'yeses' and excited nods from the kids, which earned a smile from the Lion King. Looking back at Malka and his companions, Simba announced: "Well, let's get a move on, shall we?"

"You heard his majesty," Malka said to his guards, "Let's go." Immediately, the group followed Simba and Nala as they began making their way back to Pride Rock. Meanwhile, Zazu flew up and rested on Simba's shoulders for a moment, enjoying not having to fly for once during his journey.

"You know…" Simba said, noticing his Major Domo resting on his shoulders as he continued walking, "You could have told me that you were bringing Malka back before you left. I could have prepared ahead of time. Today was supposed to be an outing for Kopa and Kicheko."

"And I am terribly sorry about that. Yet… at the same time, I didn't want to spoil the surprise." Zazu responded with a hearty chuckle, "Quite honestly sire, I wanted to tell you, but your mother forbade me from telling anyone about what I was up to."

"Why is that?" questioned Simba as he continued walking.

"Well… she wanted to surprise you, of course, but also she wondered how you would react to having… um… Malka instruct you?"

"Wait, what?" Simba gave Zazu a questioning look when he heard this. Seeing as how Simba was now curious as to what he meant, Zazu quickly stated: "I'll let Sarabi explain it to you when we get back to Pride Rock. Suffice to say, my king, you have a lot of work ahead of you."

"Oh… great…" Simba let out a long sigh when he heard this. What started out as a nice relaxing day with his son was now another long day as a king. Of course Simba was excited that Malka was back. He truly did miss that knucklehead. Though… providing a place from him and his company to stay, making sure their needs were met, and now it seemed as though his own mother had plans on Malka to teach Simba some things. Simba shuttered at the thought of having to listen to Malka. He may love him like a brother, but the concept of having to actually listen to him? Simba honestly didn't know what to think of it.

"Don't worry, sire," Zazu assured him, "All will become clear once we get back to Pride Rock."

"I hope so," Simba sighed, "I'd hate for Kopa to learn that his dad was now taking orders from a lion with the direction sense of a zebra." Though Simba was only joking, Zazu realized something with Simba's statement. Usually the young prince was with his father during matters such as these.

"Speaking of which," Zazu stated as he began looking around for a certain golden cub, "Where is Kopa?"

 **END of CHAPTER 18**

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 **Well... I think that's a good place to leave off. Don't you? Oh who am I kidding I know you guys hate cliff hangers.**

 **XD**

 **So the newcomer was Malka and he brought some friends! I wonder how this will effect the Lion King story. Any thoughts?**

 **(Also... If you don't know who Malka is... read a book)**

 **Still, while we wait for the 2 weeks to be up, does anyone have any thoughts on what will be seen in the next chapter? Any guesses? I'm also curious where Kopa and Kicheko could possibly be at this point.**

 **In any case... I hope you all enjoyed and if you did then please leave a review, follow if you haven't, and let me know what you think about the story. I respond to everyone.**

 **Until next time guys, Rogue-Lion signing off**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

* * *

 **Review response**

 **Readwallover28:**

 _ **Yep, I'm going for a Lion King Lion Guard tie in. Just a way to show how Simba and the other animal leaders know each other so well.**_

 **SunRise19:**

 _ **First off, thank you for your constant reviews throughout the story. It's much appreciated and I'm happy to see that you are enjoying it so much. Now I'm happy to tell you that you got all the easter eggs I put in chapter 17 so good job. I'm also glad to see that you haven't forgotten about Tizamo. He's still out and about looking for Scar's "Heir". I wonder if he'll ever find him... or other followers for that matter. Also thanks for understanding about life and doing this while school is going on. I appreciate it.**_

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 _ **Welp... at least Timon tried, right? I know that the reveal in this chapter on Malka wasn't much of a surprise to you, but what about the others? I bet you weren't expecting them, eh?**_

 **yingyangmaster:**

 _ **I try my friend... I try...**_

 _ **You got all the Easter eggs, so good job. I thought the story needed a little bit of uplifting moments since... things will get good in later chapters. Just you wait and see! And yes... it is truly sad about Rober Guillaume's death. I may do a tribute story to him, if I get enough support to write it. We'll just have to wait and see.**_

 **Dragonbond007:**

 _ **Thanks so much. I appreciate the feedback and thanks again for giving me, "You know who" for the story. He'll have his moments.**_

 _ **(P. S. don't worry about making a lioness. I've got it covered. Thanks again.)**_

 **Toothless 1998:**

 _ **Don't sweat it. Better late then never. I'm glad you're liking it so much.**_

 **Gracekim1:**

 _ **Hmmm... that me be the case with Zira. She had to know somehow, right?**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello Everyone and welcome to another chapter in the series.**

 **Now I have a lot I want to tell you all on this post, but I'll save what I have to say for the end since I know you all want to hop straight into the story.**

 **Of course** **, I do want to thank Incarnate Firefly, redwallover28, Gracekim1, yingyangmaster, LouisianaFan1, Toothless 1998, LionKingAlex, Jaeson Chandler, dragonbond007, and Jestalnaker94000 for your positive feedbacks and comments. All the support really helps. This story would not be where it is today if it weren't for your continual support.**

 **And on that Note, let's see what is going on in the Pride Lands**

 **'**

 **'**

 **Ch. 19 Starting Off on the Wrong Paw**

 **'**

 **'**

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Lovely… it was absolutely lovely.

While Simba and his family were out, the old, retired queen, Sarabi, was currently lounging around with the other pride members near the base of Pride Rock, sunbathing and enjoying doing something that didn't involve dodging hooves and horns. The last couple of days were very tiring for everyone. Between Simba having to deal with all the returning herds and the lionesses having several successful hunts, the lions of Pride Rock were in dreadful need of a cool down. Luckily, Simba took notice of this and decided to have a day off with his family over at Hakuna Matata Falls. With Simba and his family out of the day, Sarabi decided that everyone else had earned some well-deserved rest after their tiring ordeal of hunting for everyone. Not that anyone was complaining about the success. It used to be that everyone came home hungry and without food or water for days; and any food they used to find was split between everyone… including the numerous hyenas who used to live at Pride Rock. Yet now, with the lands flourishing, and the abundant food for everyone, no one had to worry about whether or not they would have something to eat.

"Aaaaah…" the young lioness named Atriss sighed in pleasure as she laid on her back, enjoying the warm, comfortable bolder, "This is the life…"

"You said it." a lioness beside Atriss replied as she also relished in the warmth, "Nothing a good old sunbath can't fix." As the lionesses were enjoying themselves, they suddenly heard Sarabi start speaking.

"I remember when I used to do this all the time with Mufasa and the girls when we were cubs." Sarabi smiled as she rested her head between her paws, "Everyone would tease him for hanging out with all the lionesses, thinking that he simply came along to get a tan. Even his father thought it was belittling of him to come and hang out at the sun rocks. Yet… he would always just come in order to sit by me and talk. Ah… those were the days." She wasn't talking directly to anyone, but she did speak loud enough that the other lionesses around her heard what she said.

"You know, Sarabi," Atriss stated, getting the old lioness' attention, "Simba and the others went on a family trip not too long ago. Why didn't you go with him?"

"Atriss…" the cream lioness beside her spoke up when she heard this, "It's not your place to question Sarabi's actions. She's-"

"It's alright, Sabini," Sarabi addressed the lioness resting next to Atriss. She knew that the young teenager was only asking something that everyone else was wondering. The retired queen knew she was, after all, Simba's mother and it did seem odd to everyone that she didn't go on the royal family outing. Letting out a small sigh she explained: "I just felt a bit tired today was all. Plus, if I went with them, I wouldn't have been here to greet Zazu."

"Wait… Zazu came back?" the cream lioness, Sabini, asked.

"We didn't see him." Atriss added.

"I told him to go get Simba," Sarabi explained, "You see… we will be having some guests staying here at Pride Rock for a while."

"Guests?" both lionesses replied at the same time. At this point, the other lionesses were starting to listen in on the conversation, intrigued by what they were hearing.

"Yes," Sarabi confirmed, "They are from the Stone Lands, a kingdom that's just over the mountain pass to the eastern border. I invited their king to come so that they could help Simba with running the kingdom."

"Oh! I remember the Stonelanders!" Sabini stated upon hearing this news, "It was a few years ago, but didn't they try to help us once, back when Scar was king?"

"Sabini!" Atriss nudged her friend hard. Though Sabini was upbeat about the subject, everyone else looked sad at the mention of Sabini's comment. It wasn't something that was talked about much through the pride. Not even Simba knew about the events that took place between the Stone Lands and the Pride Lands. Though Sabini was right when she said the Stone Lands kingdom tried to help, she forgot that in the end they only… _tried._

"Oh…" Sabini laid her ears back as she looked at all the sad faces and remembered exactly what happened back then, "Right… sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Sarabi said as she let out a heavy sigh, also remembering what happened, "The past is the past, so there is no point feeling bad about it." It was something that very few had forgotten or moved on from… even Sarabi struggled with looking back at the memory. Still, things were different now, and hopefully everyone could move on from such hardships. At this point, Sarabi was about to go back to the conversation about having visitors, that is, until something caught her eyes.

In a nearby bush behind the bolder Atriss and Sabini were relaxing on, Sarabi could make out movement in the underbrush. Upon looking a bit closer, she could see a faint mix of golden and grey fur just peeking out from the leaves. It didn't take the retired queen long to realize who it was… and what they were up to, but it surprised her to see them back at Pride Rock and not out and about with their father and mother. She honestly thought about ratting out the little trouble makers before they went through with their plan, but… Sarabi reconsidered it. Part of her immature side wanted to see if they could actually pull it off.

"So…" Sarabi cleared her throat before addressing her girls once again, "How have you enjoyed going on the hunts with us, Atriss?"

"Oh, it's been great!" the young lioness stated happily, "I've really appreciated all the help you've given me, Sarabi."

"Ahem." Atriss' ears flicked when she heard Sabini clear her throat. Looking back at her friend she saw her giving her one of those looks that screamed, 'are you forgetting something?'

"And you to, Sabini." Atriss smiled, quickly catching on to what her friend wanted, "Half of the hunts would have been a complete disaster for me if you weren't around."

"You're welcome," Sabini nodded, satisfied by her friend's remark, "You've done great theses past weeks. However…" Sabini slowly let on, causing Atriss' happy smile to be replaced with a concerned look, "You do have some… improvements to make." Upon hearing this, the young lioness gave Sabini a surprised look as she scrunched up her face at this comment.

"Improvements?" Atriss repeated in appalled manner, "What are you talking about? I thought you said I was doing just fine?"

"And you are!" Sabini quickly stated, seeing as her friend was on the verge of becoming flustered, "But there were times when you were just a bit too… um…" all eyes were now on Sabini as she tried to find the right words to say.

"Well?" Atriss asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

"It's just…" Sabini stuttered, feeling like she was walking on eggshells with this conversation, "Sometimes… you just talk a… bit too much during the hunt."

"Uh!" Atriss gasped when she heard this as she dramatically placed a paw over her chest as if to signify her hurt feelings. Sarabi and the others sighed as they watched the two young lionesses go at it… again.

Though they were both close friends, Sabini had excelled a little bit more then Atriss when it came to hunting. This usually meant that she would help her younger friend along at times. Since Atriss wasn't exactly the most… patient lioness in the Pride Lands, some criticism was met with backlash from her part. It would start out with Atriss getting her feelings hurt then Sabini having to try to calm the hormonal lioness down. And now it looked like they were going to start for what was now the 5th time this week. At this point… Sarabi was hoping her grandsons would hurry up and get it over with just so that everyone could keep their sanity.

"But you're still doing great!" Sabini quickly stated, trying to diffuse the emotional teenage bomb that was Atriss, "I'm only saying… you can't just whisper something whenever we are so close to the prey."

"But… what about communication?" Atriss argued, "You told me that we have to let each other know what's going on at all time and cover all the angles."

"Yes…" Sabini slowly began, "But that doesn't mean we need to know whenever you trip over a rock or have something in your eyes or if you chipped a claw. Those aren't things that the hunting party considers: emergencies." This answer, though logical, only made Atriss even more upset. In her eyes a chipped claw was a big deal. How was she supposed to make a quick kill if she couldn't even slice properly? More importantly… what if they ran into a rogue lion during the hunt? She had to be at her best in case a stranger was… interested in her. Besides that, it just sounded like Sabini was just giving her excuses on why she should just not talk during a hunt. The young lioness just couldn't connect the dots in her head.

"Oh really?" Atriss stated with a cocky attitude, "Then what would you consider an emergency, miss high and mighty?" Yet right as Sabini was about to respond…

"Now!"

Both lionesses felt something small suddenly land on their backs which caused them both to shriek in fright and fall off their comfortable rock. The lionesses all around erupted in laughter as they watched both girls lay on the ground with their faces in the dirt, all the while having two gleeful cubs sitting on their backs. Kopa proudly sat on top of Sabini while Kicheko was sitting on the back of Atriss.

"Oh, sorry girls." Sarabi said with a soft laugh, "I wanted to warn you, but like Sabini said, it's not good to talk during a hunt." This earned a happy smile from both her grandchildren as Kopa and Kicheko began to shake each other's paws, as they pretended to congratulate each other. Sarabi shook her head in amusement as she watched both cubs play around as if they had accomplished some great feat by pouncing on two older lions.

"That's was a mighty fine pounce, my good man. Ten out of ten." Kicheko said, pointing to the lioness underneath Kopa.

"You to, K," Kopa returned the gesture, "That is an impressive looking lioness you've caught there."

"Ah but not just any lioness," Kicheko pointed out with a witty grin, "This is what they call an _unstableness Atriss hormoneous_ , also known as: a teenager." Both cubs laughed and even the other older lionesses laughed at the joke, yet two certain lionesses found this situation anything but funny. Kicheko and Kopa suddenly felt the bodies of their victims suddenly began to shake as a low growl was now being emitted from both lionesses. Suddenly, both girls picked their heads up and looked back at the two trouble makers with an angry fire in their eyes.

"You two…" Atriss growled, causing both kids to lay their ears back and nervously get off and step away from the two lionesses, "Are so dead!"

"Um…" Kopa tried to save face and give both lionesses a sweet toothy grin and he gently said: "Sorry?" yet it didn't seem like either Atriss or Sabini took real notice of the prince's apology.

As the brothers looked at the two angry girls, they began to realize that they didn't really think that far ahead in their plans. Sneak up on the lionesses: check. Pounce on the lionesses: check. Response if the lionesses weren't happy with them… that… wasn't something they weren't planning on. Seeing that their plan took a rather unexpected turn, the hyena and lion duo decided that there was only one thing left to do… run for their lives. Luckily, Kicheko was already ahead of giving him and Kopa a head start.

"Oh look!" Kicheko suddenly blurted out as he pointed his paw out in the distance, "A hot rogue!"

"Where!" instantly Atriss, Sabini, and even a few of the older lionesses excitedly looked in the direction Kicheko pointed to. Sadly, they saw no one, and upon looking back at the two trouble makers, they were all shocked to see Kopa and Kicheko were no longer in front of them. Instead, both cub and pup were now frantically running up the slopes of Pride Rock.

"Hey!" Sabini screamed, realizing the hyena pup tricked her, "Get back here you brats!" Both lionesses instantly gave chase, no longer caring about what they were talking about before. All that they knew now was that those boys were so dead when they caught up to them. Sarabi and the others humorously watched as all four of them disappeared out of site. Eventually, Kopa and Kicheko's frantic cries for help and Atriss and Sabini's angry screams slowly died in the distance. Of course, Sarabi wasn't concerned for her grandson. She knew the most Atriss and Sabini would do was get him back in some way. Nothing harmful of course, yet it wouldn't be something the young prince and hyena pup would not enjoy.

Now, with everything once again being quiet and still, the retired queen and the others decided to go back to their restful sunbathing. With the cubs out of the way, and Atriss and Sabini with them, everyone decided to take this time to go back to relaxing. Yet as usual, the sweet silence lasted only for so long.

"Sarabi! Everyone!" Sarabi opened her eyes at the sound of the new voice. It wasn't Zazu, and it certainly didn't sound like Kopa or Kicheko or anyone she knew for that matter. As she picked up her head and looked out in the distance, her eyes shot open in shock at the sight. She knew Simba was coming back with Nala, Zazu, and Malka, yet she saw more then what she was expecting. Along with them was a small group of males and cubs. Standing straight up she smiled as she hopped off her rock and began to make her way to the small group of lions. Upon seeing the group with Simba, the other lionesses began to also follow suit, and soon the entire pride was making their way towards the newcomers.

"Sarabi!" the orange lion with a black and blond mane announced, "It's so good to see you!" Though this was Sarabi's first time seeing this lion since he was a cub, that bright orange pelt gave her a good idea on who it was.

"Malka!" Sarabi returned the greeting, "I'm so glad you made it." Upon hearing Malka's name, the other lionesses began to crowd around Stone Lands King, excited to see their old friend who used to visit them during his youth.

"Malka?"

"Welcome back Malka!"

"It's been so long!"

"I thought you were dead!"

"Look at how you've grown!"

Of course, Malka was touched by happy welcome from Sarabi and the fellow pride, yet… he now found that he couldn't exactly move due to being surrounded by his apparent fan club. It took a moment, but eventually everyone calmed down enough so that Malka and Sarabi could actually talk.

"Thank you all for the warm welcome." Malka said, addressing everyone, "I must say that I wasn't expecting on returning to the Pride Lands anytime soon. Yet after Zazu told me that Sarabi needed my expertise in restoring the Pride Lands, how could I say no to that?" Everyone laughed in response to Malka's witty statement, all except for Simba who rolled his eyes in response. Sure he and Malka were now really close, but every so often he found that Malka could be a smooth-talking, sleazy showoff. This was one of those times.

"So how was the trip?" Sarabi asked.

"Oh, the trip was fine," Malka replied, "Nothing a king and his fellow guardsmen can't handle."

"Ah," Sarabi said as she looked at the other three males who stood off to the side with the cubs, "I was wondering who these were. Though I understand the security… I don't remember asking if you could bring cubs from the Stone Lands over."

"Ah, yes." Zazu suddenly spoke up as he flew off of Simba's shoulders and hovered in front of Sarabi, "I can explain that. You see, I first told Malka that you requested his presence, yet he told me that he would not leave without a guard present, so he chose three lions to come with him. Yet before we left, one of the guards…" Zazu's gaze went to Mega who gave the hornbill a simple smile, "Decided to bring along his children. I advised against it, yet Malka said it would be ok."

"I said it would be fun," Malka corrected, "Seriously, who wants to pass up a trip to the Pride Lands? If everyone knew where we were going, my entire pride would have probably tagged along." Though Malka thought his statement seemed reasonable, the hornbill still could not see this as a proper excuse to bring along his children.

"Either way, you still allowed the cubs to come." Zazu countered before once again addressing Sarabi, "So seeing Mega's cubs coming along, Malka's cubs wanted to come as well… which is why we have so many… extra guests." Sarabi could tell by Zazu's slow speech that he wasn't all too thrilled about picking up hitchhikers for a trip that should have only involved one lion. Yet, Sarabi did not seem to mind. In fact, she was happy others came along with Malka. Perhaps they could help Simba learn a few extra things about being king, while at the same time making Pride Rock a bit lively during their stay.

"It's alright Zazu," Sarabi said in a calm manner, "We have plenty of room in Pride Rock for Malka and his company." Zazu sighed when he heard this. Of course he wasn't expecting Sarabi to simply turn the others away. That was far from her character. No… the hornbill knew that like any caring ruler she would welcome them all in open arms, would provide the guests a place to stay… and give Zazu more work to do.

"Very well then," Zazu let out an exhausted sigh, already knowing what was needed of him, "While you all catch up I'll be preparing everyone's quarters."

While Zazu flew off to make preparations, Malka then began introducing Sarabi to the rest of his company. Leo, Mega, and Ikkane were all delighted to meet the retired queen, likewise Sarabi was eager to meet members of Malka's guard. They all seemed like fine, well-mannered lions and she was happy that Malka had found some loyal and trustworthy friends to look after him. Afterwards, Malka showed Sarabi his son and daughter, while Mega showed off his litter of three. Sarabi was simply delighted to see so many young ones. Though Kopa allowed Sarabi to enjoy her early years when Simba used to be a cub, having five more cubs hanging around Pride Rock would also make things so much more interesting.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you all," Sarabi greeted as she lowered her head and addressed the group of cubs, "Like your fathers' said, I'm Simba's mother and so if there is anything you need, all you have to do is ask." Suddenly, one of the cubs raised his paw, causing Sarabi to look at him curiously.

"Yes?" Sarabi asked the cub in question, Afua.

"Um… Mrs. Sarabi?" Afua began, having a curious expression on his face, "Is it true that there's an evil lion at Pride Rock that… hunts cubs?"

"What…" Sarabi, and even the others in the group were surprised by the young one's question.

"Yeah," Afua's sister, Tammy added, "Dad told us about how an evil lion lurked around Pride Rock and would hunt cubs. He's… gone now, right?"

Of course, Sarabi figured the cub was merely referring to the stories referring to Scar, to which she simply replied: "No, no… don't worry. That lion is long gone. I promise, Pride Rock is the safest place in the entire Pride Lands. You cubs have nothing-"

" **I'm going to kill you!"**

" **Stand still you little twerps!"**

The sudden violent shouting instantly caught everyone's attention. Looking back towards Pride Rock, everyone gasped as they saw two vicious looking lionesses chasing what appeared to be two other cubs… and they were coming straight towards them!

"Help!" Kopa shouted as he ran frantically beside his brother, with Atriss and Sabini just barely behind them, "Dad! Save us!"

"Kopa?" Simba recognized the voice instantly. Normally, his parental instincts would kick in upon seeing his boys in distress, yet seeing that it was Atriss and Sabini who were chasing them, Simba and Nala instantly figured that Kopa had done something that ticked the two young lionesses off. Of course, neither would dare do something harmful to either cub, but the others in the group didn't know that.

Instantly the cubs screamed and hid behind their parents, all the while Malka and the others became serious when they saw and heard the lionesses who were chasing Kopa and Kicheko. Though the situation was sudden, the guards wasted no time in responding.

"Show time guys!" Malka commanded with urgency, causing the guards to snap to attention, "That cub is in trouble! Secure those two! Now!" Simba's eyes widened when he heard this.

"No wait!" yet Simba's call was ignored as Leo, Ikkane, and Mega instantly darted towards the scene, ready for a fight.

Meanwhile, Kopa and Kicheko were still frantically running, yet as they looked up they saw Simba as well as three other strange lions charging towards them. They didn't know who these lions were or if they were friendly or dangerous, but Kicheko decided to take this opportunity to try and throw these volatile lionesses off their backs.

"Hey, look!" the pup exclaimed again, "Hot rogues!"

"Oh no you don't!" Atriss growled as she had her eyes fixed on her targets, "You're not getting us with that again!" Despite being older and stronger then the two cubs, Atriss and Sabini struggled to keep up with them. It started out with running around Pride Rock, but eventually the two decided to take the chase out into the savannah. Now both cubs looked like they were beginning to tire and they were starting to slow down a bit. She was so close to grabbing onto that snotnose prince. Just a little bit closer…

"Leave them alone!" Before Atriss or Sabini could even register what had just been said, they were shocked when two large male lions suddenly side tackled them onto the short grass and roughly pinned them to the ground.

"Hey!" Sabini exclaimed in shock and fear as she felt a paw holding her down against her throat.

"Get off! Get off!" Atriss frantically screamed as she too was forcibly being held down. She no longer cared about getting the kids back, she had just been pinned down by a complete stranger. For all she knew, he was going to kill her!

"Calm down, both of you!" Mega instructed as he continued to hold Sabini down.

"Please, stop resisting." Ikkane pleaded as he struggled to keep Atriss pinned. Yet both lionesses continued to struggle to get free. Seeing that the lion cub was out of danger and that both lionesses were apprehended, Malka unleashed a mighty roar, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look up at him. The two girls were surprised to see the orange lion approach them, but they were even more surprised to see Simba walking right by his side.

"You're highness!" Sabini exclaimed with relief, "Thank goodness you're here."

"What's going on?" Atriss asked as she once again tried to push Ikkane off of her. He was only slightly bigger than her, yet this brown male seemingly held her down with ease.

"You tell me." Simba responded, giving both girls a curious look, "What did my son do to you this time?"

"Wait…" Malka noticed the way that Simba talked to these two seemed natural to the Lion King, yet it was what Simba called the cub that got him curious. "You have a son?"

"Didn't I tell you that earlier?" Simba questioned, to which Malka shook his head in response. Chuckling, Simba explained: "Well… now you know. I've got a boy, two in fact, and it would appear that they've gone and caused some trouble while I was away." Simba then looked back at the two lionesses on the ground. He knew how their actions must have looked to Malka, so Simba tried to clear things up before anything else happened. "Now, as for these two, this is Atriss and Sabini, two of my youngest hunters." Though Simba said it like it was obvious, Malka turned back and growled menacingly at the two.

"You would raise your paw against your king's own son? What would possess you to do such a heinous crime?!" Upon hearing this, Simba internally groaned. As usual… Malka completely misinterpreted what he told him. Of course, Sabini and Atriss didn't share Simba's view of this situation. Seeing a stranger suddenly growl in their face, threateningly, really terrified them.

"W-We would never try to hurt Kopa." Atriss pleaded with Malka.

"Y-Yeah…" Sabini added, "We were just trying to get him back for pouncing on us earlier. We weren't going to do anything bad to him. Please don't hurt us!" Yet, to both lionesses', and even Simba's, surprise; Malka began to laugh heartily. Atriss and Sabini didn't know who this lion was or what he would do next, which frightened them. Simba, however, realized exactly what Malka just did: he was messing with them.

"Relax," Malka said with a wave of his paw, "I'm just joking. Sheesh, I really have been away to long." Then he motioned for both of his men to release the girls which they did responded promptly.

Upon getting to their feet, Sabini and Atriss realized that they weren't alone. It seemed as though the entire pride, including the strangers, had watched all that had taken place. Realizing this, both lionesses blushed in embarrassment. They also weren't the only ones who felt uncomfortable by what happened.

"Um…" Atriss turned to the sound of the brown lion clearing his throat. He seemed a bit distant as he looked off to the side and said to her: "I'm… sorry about that. We thought you were going to hurt them. You're… not hurt, are you?"

"Oh! Uh… no. I'm alright. Thanks…" This was the first time Atriss actually got to see who her attacker was. His dark brown mane and light brown fur intrigued her. Also, she could tell his eyes apparently were blue, since she could only see the right side of his face. For some reason, the young lioness found herself becoming flustered. Whether it was from realizing the entire pride saw what just happened or the fact that this was the first adult male lion she had ever met besides Simba and Scar; either way, Atriss knew that her cheeks were turning red.

"Are you also alright?" Mega asked Sabini with concern.

"Oh yes, I'm fine." Sabini said as she brushed herself off and spoke with confidence. She looked curiously at the lion who pinned her down. He had a light tan pelt, yet his mane held sort of an orange glow to it. It was certainly a common trait among lions outside the Pride Lands, yet Sabini found it to be quite fascinating and… handsome? What that the right word? She honestly didn't know, nor at this point cared. The only thing she was interested in was knowing who these lions were and what their business was in the Pride Lands.

"Sorry if we got off on the wrong paw," Malka said as he politely bowed his head to the two, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Malka, king of the Stone Lands."

"Oh!" Sabini suddenly realized who these lions were, "So you're the guests Sarabi said would be coming to stay with us. Nice to meet you! I'm Sabini."

"And I'm Atriss."

"Heh, heh." Malka chuckled at the lionesses' sudden change in attitude, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dears. I believe you have already met my guardsmen, Ikkane and Mega." Upon gesturing to his men, both lions bowed their heads respectfully to the two ladies. Malka was about to continue, but that's when he realized someone was missing.

"Wait a minute…" Malka and the other guards began looking around. It appeared as though they were missing someone, "Where is Leo?" suddenly, a loud roar of pain was heard off in the distance.

"Help!" everyone's ears perked up at the sound of the grown male lion's cry of distress, "Mega! Ikkane! Malka! I need back up!" Everyone, including Nala, Sarabi, the cubs, and the other rushed to the sound of Leo's cries over the hill. Upon reaching the top, everyone saw quite the spectacle. Nala and Sarabi gritted their teeth in embarrassment, while all the children began laughing at the site. Malka, Simba and the others, however, looked at what was taking place before them and wondered what was going on. For apparently, Leo was currently holding Kicheko down by this tail all the while Kopa was veraciously bighting down on Leo's tail.

"Let go of me already!" Kicheko exclaimed as he tried to get his tail out of Leo's paw, "You can't do this to me! I'm a Pride Lander! I have rights!"

"Ha!" Leo scoffed as he continued to hold onto the hyena pup, "That's rich coming from a hyena. **Yow!"** Yet once again, the adult lion felt something sharp and painful clamp down on his tail, which caused him to let a few tears escape his eyes.

"Let Kicheko go!" Kopa let out a muffle growled as he once again chomped down on Leo's tail. The guard tried to shake the young cub off, but each time he tried, Kopa just clamped down even harder. Leo could easily get him off, but if he turned around then the pup would get out of his paws and run away. Knowing that Simba would probably want to know about a hyena pup being in the Pride Lands he held on… yet now, if he didn't get help soon, he felt like his tail would break off soon.

"What is your problem kid?" Leo cried out in pain as tears began to drip down his face, "I'm saving you from this hyena!"

"Let my brother go!" Kopa exclaimed in a serious tone. While still holding onto Leo's tail, the young prince then unsheathed his claws in order to try and swipe at Leo's hind legs. Leo instantly put his weight on his front feet and began picking his hind legs up in the air in order to have them avoid being sliced by the golden cub. He didn't want to hurt the boy… but he also didn't want to lose his catch. Sometimes being a guard was not all that it was cut out to be.

On the sidelines, the cubs watched with amusement at what was taking place before them. They had known Uncle Leo for nearly their entire lives. To see the lion who supposedly was a descendant of great heroes being overwhelmed by a cub was very funny in their opinion. Yet, Malka and Simba did not share the children's viewpoint of this situation. Though Simba had to admit to concept of a cub, his cub, beating up an adult was rather… humorous; he also knew that he had to stop him before anyone got badly hurt.

"Kopa!" Simba called, "Let him go!" upon hearing his name being called, Kopa stopped and looked up to see his father as well as the rest of the Pride looking at him. Some of the group were lions he knew, yet there appeared to be a bunch of strangers with them. The young prince didn't know what was going on, but he knew his dad would be able to help.

"Dad!" Kopa exclaimed as he spit Leo's tail out of his mouth, "He won't let Kicheko go!"

"Kid!" Leo exclaimed again, relieved that his tail was finally free, "You have trouble seeing or something? It's a hyena, not a lion cub! You can't just-"

"Let Kicheko go, Leo." Leo, Malka, and the others in his group looked at Simba in shock when they heard what he said. Not only did he tell Leo to release the pup, but he seemingly called him by name. Why would Simba know this hyena?

"W-What?" Leo stammered, making sure he heard right.

"I said, let him go!" Simba demanded again.

"You heard my dad. Let me go!" Kicheko exclaimed as he finally managed to yank in tail out of Leo's paw. Everyone looked at the pup with shocked expressions. Did he just call Simba 'Dad'? Leo and the others watched in shock as both Kopa and Kicheko ran straight to Simba and Nala and instantly got behind them for protection. Neither cubs them knew who these lions were, but they were clearly not friendly in their eyes.

"Simba…" Malka began slowly, his gaze never leaving the hyena pup, "Did I have something in my ears, or did that pup just call you 'dad'?"

"Eh, heh," Simba let out a nervous laugh as Malka and the other looked at him with a mixture of surprised and confused looks. This was not how he wanted to introduce his kids to his old friend. Upon seeing Simba's guilty look, Malka knew that his thoughts were confirmed: his old buddy had not only had a kid with Nala, but had also taken in a hyena pup. Knowing that this was a subject that would probably be the main talk of the night, Sarabi stepped in and addressed the Stone Lands king.

"Malka," she began, "I know what you're thinking and I can assure you-"

"Sarabi…" Malka said calmly, still deciding in his head on how he should respond to this revelation, "You mind telling me why there is a hyena pup hiding behind Simba?"

 **End of Chapter 19**

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 **Well, it would seem as though once again Kicheko is in for a rather... interesting time.**

 **Will Malka and the others accept him or will this start something ugly? Won't know until two weeks.**

 **I don't know my, but I wasn't quite feeling it with this chapter. I don't know if it's just me criticizing my own work or what, but please comment and give me your honest opinions on this chapter and how the story is so far. I love positive feedback, but I want the honest truth on how everything is looking in terms of the actual story as well as writing.**

 **Ok, now for the announcements:**

 **So for those of you who don't know, thanks to a certain reader's suggestions, I've started posting this story on the Wattpad site. Don't worry I'm still posting this story on the fanfic site, but now I have two sites to share this story on. It's not completely updated, I still have about 8 or 9 chapters I still have to post until I'm completely caught up. However, everything posted so far has: fewer if no spelling or grammar errors like they did in the beginning, it looks like an actual book, and the content is higher quality then it looks on this site. So if you are interested in checking this story out in book form while at the same time not having to deal with reading through a full page of me ranting then I strongly advise checking it out.**

 **One last thing, for the past couple of weeks I've been interested in looking to see how to commission an artist to do some artwork on a scene or two from this story. So far... I've yet to find a way to get in touch with anyone. If someone knows a good artist doing TLK commissions, or if you know the process to hiring an artist, then let me know. I've seen a few people do it on this site yet I still have no idea how they do it. (Honestly, who doesn't want to see a painting of Kopa and Timon and Pumbaa doing the Warthog Rhapsody?)**

 **So until next time guys, This is Rogue-Lion signing off**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

* * *

 **Review Response:**

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 **I was honestly planning it ahead of time with Afua since I was trying to connect the dots between the movie and the books, but when I read your story I was like, "Oh snap... Incarnet Firefly is instantly going to see something similar to his story." Still, I stuck with my original plan of having Afua be Malka's. That's honestly the only similarity to our stories in terms of who is Afua's father.**

 **As for Tammy, since Malka basically is with Tama, I thought they would simply name the daughter after her mother, but in order to keep them separate they named her Tammy.**

 **Maybe Timira will have an impact on Kopa, but then again, we've got 2 other girl cubs in the mix. Honestly I want to see how the audience will react to the future banter I have planned among all the cubs. Should be interesting.**

 **Redwallover28:**

 **Glad you're enjoying. Please keep in touch, I love hearing from my readers.**

 **Gracekim1:**

 **Yep, the books will have a reference here and there. I'll do my best to make them flow together the best I can.**

 **yingyangmaster:**

 **Yep, Malka was the secret guest.**

 **Tama unfortunately won't be making an appearance any time soon since she'll be back home running the kingdom, which is a long ways away from Pride Rock. I wanted to mention her just to let people know, "Hey, Malka got hitched with a familiar face."**

 **Yes... seeing Simba being instructed by Malka will be quite the show. I'm still wondering if I should make some chapters of Malka teaching Simba or if it should just be in the background of things. I'm still deciding.**

 **Thanks for the 100 review congratulations. Now... it's time to shoot for 200.**

 **LouisianaFan1:**

 **Well... your prediction came to pass in a sense. Kopa and Kicheko were in trouble in a manner of speaking. Now can you guess what the next chapter will be about?**

 **Toothless 1998:**

 **This is how I picture Malka, Tama and Tojo. Malka goes and gets hitched with Tama while Tojo just enjoys the company of this birds. Everyone is happy and no one is left alone. LOL.**

 **Hm... I'm not sure who Kopa will end up with, or maybe I already know and not telling anyone. (I am the writer after all.) Let me know if I should take a poll or something. It is definitely an interesting subject.**

 **LionKingAlex:**

 **Yep, I'm trying to tie in as much TLK lore as I can, (expect for the German tapes. Those are a different story all together).**

 **Fun fact, it turns out Nala has Teal eyes. So yeah... in a way we're both right. LOL.**

 **Liam Holman :**

 **Thanks. It's good to know that my writing is getting better. That was honestly the main reason I started posting on this site: just so that I could improve.**

 **Who knows? I may throw in a special guest in the Present day Pride Lands. He could join in on telling the story. Yet... who could I possibly bring in. Hmmm... decisions, decisions...**

 **JasonChandler:**

 **Yeah, the back and forth between past and present kind of reveals the story within the story. Kind of like TLK1/2, (except mine makes sense and doesn't break the 4th wall.) LOL.**

 **Dragonbond007:**

 **Thanks. Keep on reading and commenting and I'll keep posting.**

* * *

 _ **Final comment:**_

 _ **Phew... this is probably the most reviews I've ever had to respond to. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just that I may limit the response to the first 5 people if this keeps up. I'm glad to see that you are all enjoying the story so far.**_

 _ **Thanks again and I hope you all have a good day!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Finally! It's up!**

 **(Cries tears of Joy)**

 **All day the Fanfic site was acting crazy, but it's finally up!**

 **As promised, here is chapter 20! (grant it it's 30 minutes till 12) but it's still in the Saturday timeline! Sorry about the delay, but trust me, it should be all worth it!**

 **I have to admit, this has been one amazing week! Fall semester is over, Christmas is just around the corner, and it even snowed in my neighborhood. That's a big deal! It never snows in Louisiana!**

 **But enough ranting. I'd like to thank Mason Topi, Jestalnaker94000, Jason Chandler, Dave Bennett, Leam Holman, Toothless 1998, Gracekim1, Incarnate Firefly, and yingyangmaster. Your support and reviews for this story has made it what it is today and has encouraged me in my story telling and writing. **

**Now... on to chapter 20!**

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 **CH. 20 Method to the Madness**

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While events were going on over in the Pride Lands, in a small cave in the back of the Out Lands, Scar was still putting together a way to bring down Simba. The hyenas were unknowingly under his control, and his men were even able to snag a few animals who would act as agents. Yet what really drove Scar these last couple of days, was the fact that one of his guard members was finally beginning to act like a true leader. They say that one's ambition eventually leads to their downfall, yet for Scar and Zira, it seemed to be the only thing driving them for the last few weeks.

"Again Zira!" Scar commanded, seeing the lioness' strength beginning to falter, "No matter what, you can't stop until you know your enemy will stay down!"

Ever since Zira asked Scar to teach her how to be a true leader, the dark king had begun to put her in charge overseeing and setting up missions for the other guardsmen. Despite this new level of trust, Scar also began putting Zira through grueling and unique training methods. It varied from holding tightly onto the side of the cave's walls for several hours, to literally having Scar beat her over and over again. These methods, Scar explained to her, were designed to develop one's stamina and endurance. Today, however, Scar introduced Zira with a new task: to strike the thickest stalagmite in the room until either it breaks… or she breaks.

"Grrrrr…" Zira staggered backwards for a moment, mentally forcing herself to remain standing. Her paws no longer felt like paws. Instead, they just seemed like red, painful balls of flesh on the end of her front legs. Oh how she longed to collapse on the floor and end this insufferable pain, but Zira was determined to see this through. For nearly an hour, she had repeatedly struck the lower end of this thick spike in the ground. Yet, for all of her efforts, all she did was leave a series of scratch marks on its side. It angered her to see this piece of stone still standing. It was like a living testimony to her failure… to her weakness.

Once more letting out an angry roar of frustration, Zira unleashed a series of vicious swipes at the stalagmite. Sparks began to fly as Zira's razor sharp claws slashed mercilessly against, what she considered, an accursed creation of nature. On the sidelines, Scar watched with anticipation to see what would happen. Of course, he knew that Zira would be unable to break the stalagmite in half… at least… as of right now. During his youth, he had to go through a very similar process during his Lion Guard training. The only difference now, is that the lion being trained here was not one chosen by the Great Kings. Yet… despite not having the blessing of the actual Lion Guard, Zira was making progress as if she truly was one of them. It surprised him that Zira continued striking the rock for over fifteen minutes, never mind the hour. Upon seeing Zira's body begin to tremble as her strikes began to slow, Scar knew that she had reached her limit.

"Enough." The moment Zira heard Scar's words, she collapsed on her side; exhausted, battered, and in pain. Even still, she persisted in getting back up on continuing.

"J… Just…" she gasped for breath as she continued lying on the ground, "Once… more… I can…"

"Zira…" Scar said as he approached the fallen lioness and lowered his head next to hers, "A bird cannot fly the moment it is born, and a cub cannot eat meat until it has tasted milk."

"Wha… What does that… mean?" Zira huffed, not understanding what Scar was talking about.

"It means," Scar explained, growing a bit impatient with Zira's lack of understanding, "That your training has only begun. So until you start succeeding, take what you have done here as a lesson; not a failure." Having said that, Scar turned and walked away to the entrance of the den, leaving Zira alone to rest and think about what he had just told her. There was nothing more to be said on the matter. Either Zira would understand the lesson and learn from it, or she would suffer through her own personal torment until she realized what Scar was trying to teach her. Either way, Scar was slowly but surely molding Zira into a weapon of loyalty, of ferocity… of hate. This lioness, once ruled by unpredictable feelings, was gradually learning how to be a lioness with a brain instead of a brute club of emotion and anger. Of course she was far from being ready… but at least she was now on the right track to becoming stronger. Still… Zira was only one part of a much larger picture in Scar's future.

Upon leaving the den, Scar winced as the sun's rays hit his face. Though he had left the hideout a few times in the past, his eyes still needed to adjust to the brightness of the day, compared to the constant darkness of his quarters. It took a moment, but eventually the world around him came into focus, revealing to him the dry and dusty landscape that was the Out Lands. There was nothing here but rocky chasms and pits and hot vents; not to mention there was very little food to go around. In short… this land was disgusting; unfit for such a regal and upstanding lion like Scar. As he thought these things, Scar looked onward, passed the Out Lands and its borders, to the land that was once his kingdom… and home.

Scar sat down and frowned as his gaze fixed on the small figure in the distance that was Pride Rock. It was the place he grew up; the place that he once protected and ruled… the place where he was betrayed. It was bad enough that Simba had returned and ruined everything, but the fact that everyone joined him willingly… without even a second thought… it shook Scar to the core just thinking about it. Friends and family whom he had known for nearly his entire life just… turned their backs on him, so quickly and willingly. Of course… the admittance of murdering his own brother might had spurred the Pride's anger, but none of them even stopped and asked if that was even true. No… they flocked to Simba instantly… not even giving Scar a chance to state his case before them. Sarabi… Nala… all of them! Just thinking about that incident made the dark lion's blood boil.

"Traitors…" Scar seethed to himself as his eyes remained fixed upon his old kingdom, "Deceivers… Conspirators… They never even gave me a chance." These thoughts ran over and over inside of Scar's head; and as he began to brood over the matter, he realized the cold hard truth: none of them would accept him back. Even if he did manage to defeat Simba, the others would just flock behind Nala and Simba's little spawn, Kopa. No matter what… Scar would end up with a kingdom that wouldn't even want him, and just knowing that made his dark and hardened heart feel… hurt.

"Dad! Dad!"

Scar's eye were still fixed on Pride Rock, even though he could clearly hear Nuka calling out his name as he bounded towards him.

"Hey Dad!" the dirty cub said happily as he stopped in front of his father and looked up at him with a wide grin, "There's this really cool hole down by the canyon that has a bunch of skinks in them! They're so cool! You got to come see!" Yet, despite his happy tone, Scar paid no heed to his son's words. Nuka saw that, as usual, he father wasn't paying him any attention, yet this time it was different. It seemed as though Scar was off in his own little world… and that made the cub nervous. Zira always warned him to be very cautious around Scar, since he was considered to still be recovering, but now, Nuka was wondering if this was what she meant.

"Um… Dad?" Nuka hesitantly asked as he prodded Scar's leg with his paw, "Are… you ok?" Though Nuka didn't know what to expect, Scar suddenly spoke.

"Nuka…" Scar stated slowly, having a painful expression on his face, "Why am I not… loved?" before Nuka could even respond to the question, Scar suddenly leaped forward onto a small stone ledge and began to express himself in a rather _unique_ way.

* * *

 **THE MADNESS OF KING SCAR**

 **(Dramatic Music Starts Playing)**

 **'**

 **Scar:**

 **(Places paw over his chest)**

 **'**

 _ **I have that rare and awesome thing!**_

 _ **I'm every inch… a king.**_

 _ **Yet I feel a twinge of doubt…**_

 _ **As I go walk about…**_

 _ **'**_

Just then, the two tan brothers, Brin and Brang, returned from their scouting mission and they looked rather impatient.

"Hey Boss!" Brang greeted. Yet it was then that they both realized that Scar was apparently… speaking to himself?

 _ **'**_

 _ **Scar:**_

 _ **When my name is whispered through the Pride…**_

 _ **Is this out of love or regicide?**_

 _ **'**_

"Reja-hoo?" Brin repeated the word in a confused manner. Both lions then looked to the young cub Nuka for an explanation, yet he only shrugged with his paws facing up. Apparently, no one knew what Scar was doing.

 **'**

 **Scar:**

 _ **Tell me I'm adored.**_

 **(Face twists into a pained expression)**

 _ **Please tell me… I'm adoooooooooored.**_

 **'**

 **(Music Continues Playing in the Background)**

 **'**

"Hey Boooosss!"

"Oh, what is it?!" Scar growled at his guards, hating that he was being interrupted.

"We just got back from our mission." Brang stated in a stern tone.

"And we're starving!" Brin added.

"Yeah! Where is Vita with the food? He should be back by now, right?" Scar couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was going through an emotional experience and all his guardsmen could care about was their stomachs?!

"You and your petty complaints!" Scar shouted angrily, causing the two adults, as well as Nuka, to back away from him, "You don't know what real hunger is! Day after day it gnaws at the very core of my being!" Brin and Brang looked at Scar nervously. Sure both of them were hungry, but they saw that whatever was going on with Scar seemed serious. Nuka, on the other hand, didn't catch on.

"Hey, I had that once." Nuka stated, thinking he understood what his father was talking about, "It was worms." The two brothers snickered in a mocking manner when they heard what the cub said, yet Scar didn't share in their amusement.

"No! No! No!" Scar whined as he tried to explain, "It's like an itch! It is deep… persistent… profound…"

"That's it!" Nuka said as he recognized those feelings from his own experience, "That's worms!"

Upon hearing this, both brothers stopped their laughing and looked worriedly at their leader. If Scar truly did have worms… then there was no telling how it would affect him in his current condition. Since Tizamo wasn't here to help Scar along, it was up to Scar's strongest and fastest to make sure their king was ok.

"Don't worry you're highness," Brang stated as he walked up next to Scar, "We know what to do."

"If they get really bad," Brin explained, "All you got to do is… hunker down an scoot. That's how Mama always got rid of them." Upon seeing his guard act like this, Scar couldn't help of scowl at them. If their stupidity hadn't shown before, it was showing now.

"Thanks for the tip." Scar said sarcastically, yet the two still didn't seem to get that he didn't have worms. Both lions tried to push their leader towards the den, but Scar back pawed them both in the face and shouted: "Ingrates! If it weren't for me you'd be nobodies on a backwater pride with no one to look after you!"

Both males began to rub their sore cheeks, realizing that they had clearly aggravated their leader. That was when their stomachs once again began to growl. Remembering that they were still hungry, they decided to express their plight to Scar the only way they knew how…

 **'**

 **Brin and Brang:**

 _ **Ya you're our savior, thanks a bunch…**_

 _ **But how about some lunch?**_

 _ **It doesn't matter if it's fresh…**_

 _ **I need a fix of flesh.**_

 _ **Our bones have moved to where they've never beeeeeen…**_

 _ **They are on the outside… looking iiiiiiiiin!**_

 _ **Ack!**_

 _ **'**_

Both lions suddenly felt Scar grab them both by the throat as he growled: "Are you blaming me for that?"

"Oh nooooo…. No, no, no," They quickly stated in a nervous tone, "It's Vita. He's late with lunch."

"Ah…" Scar smiled, pleased that he wasn't the one being blamed for their troubles. Upon releasing him, Brin and Brang saw that Scar's mood brightened. Seeing that their positive attitudes seemed to have brightened Scar's mood, they decided to continue. After all, it was the job of the guard to make their king happy.

 **'**

 **Brin and Brang:**

 _ **You are so adored!**_

 _ **You, you, you, you, you… oh…**_

 _ **You are… so adoooooored!**_

 _ **'**_

 **Scar:**

"That's more like it!"

 **'**

 **Brin and Brang:**

 _ **What would I give for one more hit…**_

 _ **Of wildebeest kielbasa.**_

 _ **Or maybe meerkat on a spit…**_

 **'**

 **Nuka:**

 _ **Hey guys look! There's Vita!**_

 **'**

 **(Music abruptly stops)**

 **'**

"Vita?!" Both brothers exclaimed in delight as they looked to where Nuka was pointing. Sure enough, they spotted the black maned lion slowly making their way towards them… and he seemed to be hauling an adult kudu on his back! They felt their mouths begin to water as they imagined how delicious that red meat would taste in their mouth.

"Scar!" Vita hailed as he saw the group, "Perfect timing, Sire. Here is today's-"

"Fooooood!" both brothers exclaimed with delight when they saw the carcass. Vita's once happy expression instantly turned scared when he saw the Fastest and Strongest of Scar's Guard suddenly charge at him. He tried to drop his kill and get out of the way, but it was too late. Instantly, Brin and Brang ran into him, causing all three lions to tumble down the slope, all of them biting and growling to try and get a piece of the kudu meat.

Scar watched on the sidelines as his elite men were now fighting over scraps like a bunch of children. Truly… it was an embarrassing sight. He was upset at all of them. Brin and Brang were behaving like undisciplined morons, while Vita… well… he interrupted his men praising Scar.

"Gee…" hearing Nuka groan, Scar's eyes went back to see his young cub looking at the group of males with annoyance, "Is it just me, or are we surrounded by idiots?" Upon hearing this, a small grin appeared on Scar's face. It seemed as though Nuka had inherited a thing or two from him after all. That didn't make Nuka better in Scar's mind in terms of an heir, but it gave the dark king some manner of happiness to see that some of his genes at least made their way into his son.

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" Scar replied in a cold tone, yet he still kept a small smirk on his face. This earned a happy smile from Nuka. It wasn't often Scar recognized him or praised him, but when he did, it felt like Nuka accomplished something great. Just hearing his father address him, lifted the young cub's spirits. He was about to ask his father about the skinks again, until…

"Hey, Taka! You around?"

Scar and Nuka looked back to see a jackal approaching them. Scar smirked when he saw the wild scavenger approach him. Ever since Brin and Brang brought her back, the jackal, named Cheichei, Scar had drafted her as a spy for him. Of course, he used his old name to hide his true identity from her, as a precaution so that no one else would ever find out that he was still alive if she told anyone who she was working for. She was against helping at first, but after a very _persuasive_ conversation with Scar, she quickly changed her mind. Now, once a week, Cheichei would report back to Scar and keep him updated on the events that were going on in the Pride Lands. Yet… today her presence worried Scar. It was not yet time for her to return. If she was here to give him news, then it must be something serious.

"Ah… Cheichei," Scar greeted with an abnormally happy tone in his voice as he got up and approached the jackal, "Your timing couldn't have been more perfect. What news from the Pride Lands?"

Seeing his father suddenly leave him, Nuka's smile instantly faded and he lowered his ears back. As usual… he was treated as if he didn't even exist. Knowing that his father wouldn't be coming back to talk to him any time soon, the cub got up and walked inside of the den, feeling hurt and dejected. Yet, right before he left, he looked over his shoulder one last time at his father. With all his heart Nuka wished that Scar would just notice him. Yet… he knew it was just a silly dream. Scar never noticed him or respected him before. Why would he start now? Letting out a depressed sigh, he closed his eyes and went back inside the den. Maybe his mother could hang out with him.

Meanwhile, Scar was being debriefed by Cheichei about all that was currently going on in the Pride Lands, and right now, he was far from happy with what he was hearing.

"Are you sure…" Scar questioned the jackal, making sure he heard right.

Cheichei smiled and said in her thick accent: "As sure as a bee in a field of flowers, darling. All of 'em were Stonelanders." Scar was silent for a moment, thinking about this new set of information. Stone Landers were in the Pride Lands? What business did they have their? Surely they weren't there to make a treaty with Simba. The timing of it is way too soon, not to mention that Simba had nothing to truly be afraid of. There was no wars to fight, and no enemies to guard against. So why then would…

"That's it!" Scar's eyes widened as the realization of what was going on suddenly hit him. They weren't here because Simba invited them… they were here because of his mother. Letting out a light chuckle, Scar shook his head and said out loud: "Oh Sarabi… you clever girl."

"Sarabi?" the jackal questioned when she heard the retired queen's name, "What's she got to do with this?"

"Everything…" Scar replied as he turned around and faced the jackal. Cheichei nervously gulped as she saw Scar's menacing stance and wicked grin on his face. She had seen some pretty wacky lions in her time, but this lion, Taka, takes the cake. One moment he was a sweet and charming individual, then the next minute he looks like he wants to rip someone's throat out. Still, she knew it was far from her place to question him. She had seen what he could do to those who didn't follow him, and quite frankly she was one of those animals who really liked keeping her skin attached to her body.

After a moment of silence, Scar looked back at his men, who were apparently still fighting over scarps of Kudu meat. Luckily, it wouldn't take much to stop their idiotic behavior.

"Men!" instantly, all three lions froze in place and gave Scar their full attention. Scar walked up to them and started issuing commands: "It would seem as though the Pride Lands have visitors, and from the Stone Lands, no less."

"The Stone Lands?" Vita's eyes widened. That was a place he hadn't heard in a long time. "Do you know who?"

"Not yet…" Scar replied, watching as his men got up off the ground and actually started acting like civilized lions, "But I have a good idea who is with them." This caused Vita to narrow his eyes and give Scar a toothy grin. It seemed like years since he last seen hide or tail of that pride. If that _certain_ lion was with them… then Vita would be able to finish what he started all those years ago. Knowing this made the black maned lion excited for the upcoming days.

"It won't be long until the rest of the Pride Lands learn of their arrival." In saying this, Scar got a sudden glint in his eyes as he asked his men a rather intriguing question: "So… who's willing to go out and spread the word of the Stonelander's return?" This of course received a wide variety of dark grins from his men. Whatever Scar had in mind, they all knew that by next week, the entire Pride Lands would be looking at Stonelanders in a whole new light.

"So, what's the plan Boss?" Brang asked eagerly as he ripped off a large chunk of kudu meat and harked it down.

"Patience…" Scar said as he looked out once more towards the Pride Lands. He knew what Sarabi was trying to do, and he would not allow it! Simba's peaceful little reign was over. Now it was time for chaos to reign in the Pride Lands.

 **'**

 **(Music Starts back up)**

 **'**

 **Scar:**

 _ **You… will… soon see!**_

 **(Steps forward with his men following behind him)**

 _ **You all will soo-oon seeeee-heeeee-heeeee-heeeee-EEEEEEEEEE!**_

 _ **Yargh!**_

 **'**

 **(Scar and his guards manically laugh as the sun set's behind them)**

 **'**

 **(Music ends)**

 **'**

* * *

 **'**

Back in the Pride Lands, everyone had just returned to Pride Rock where they began to get settled in for the night. Malka's guard were down in the lower dens, making sure their quarters were ready for themselves as well as the other cubs. Meanwhile, Simba, Nala, and Sarabi were currently explaining to Malka about all the events that had taken place while he was away. While the old gang sat in the upper den of Pride Rock, reliving the tale of Simba and his history away from Pride Rock, the children were all playing and hanging out with Kopa and Kicheko on the sidelines. It was certainly a unique story, but the Stonelander had a little trouble believing what he had just heard.

"So let me get this straight…" Malka stated, trying to wrap his mind around all that he was told, "You ran away because Scar made you think that you caused the stampede that killed Mufasa?"

"Yes." Simba nodded.

"Then you spent the last couple of years living in an oasis with a meerkat and warthog, eating nothing but insects?"

"Yes."

"Then Nala finds you and you receive a vision from your father telling you to go back home?"

"Yes…"

"So you then defeat Scar, retake the Pride Lands, have a kid, and then adopt a hyena pup?"

"Pretty much." Simba shrugged.

Malka didn't respond after that. Laying back down on the hard floor, the Stonelander king just stayed silent, all the while keeping a rather serious expression on his face. He just couldn't understand… or accept what was being told to him. All this time… all this time and energy that was spent by his kingdom to liberate the Pride Lands, and Simba did it in one day. There was no army behind him, no grand scheme, it was only him and the Pridelanders against Scar and his horde. That's all it took to defeat Scar. If it was truly so simple, then why? Why did so many have to fail where Simba had succeeded with so little effort?

Then there was the pup...

Looking off to the side, Malka watched as the hyena pup, Kicheko, interacted with the other lion cubs. He seemed pleasant enough, yet the fact that this pup hailed from the same hyena pack that helped Scar really concerned him. It just… didn't seem right. How could Simba… or Nala for that matter, even consider taking care of a child born from one of the Pride Land's most dangerous threats? Part of him was thinking out of anger and rage from what those mongrels did to everyone during his youth, yet the other part of him knew that Simba must have had good reason to do this. After all, Sarabi seemed to be ok with the decision. It didn't mean Malka had to like it, but he decided to not push the issue… for now at least.

"Malka?" Sarabi asked, noticing his sudden mood change, "What's wrong?"

"I… It's nothing." Malka said, putting on a smile for the retired queen. He knew that it was impossible to hide something from Sarabi, but he at least wanted to seem genuine to Simba and Nala, so that no one would suspect that something was wrong. As he looked back at Simba, Malka went back to his playful self as he stated with a huff: "So it seems as though you guys have everything under control. Scar is gone, you got a family, the Pride Lands are recovering; I don't see why you guys need my help."

"It's quite simple, Malka." Sarabi stated as she stood to her feet and looked Malka in the eyes, "I would appreciate it if you would begin training Simba on how to be a king."

"What?!" Both Simba and Malka exclaimed at the same time. Their reaction caught the attention of the cubs, causing them to stop what they were doing and begin listening to what the adults were talking about.

"You expect me to give royal lessons to… Simba?" Malka practically scoffed. Initially, he figured that he was here to help with the returning herds or to rule as a consort until they found a suitable ruler. Never, in Malka's life did he ever think he, of all people, would ever be teaching anyone besides his own children how to run a kingdom. He thought he had some time in his life before he had to worry about such things; yet now here he was; in the Pride Lands… with his best friend who was supposedly presumed dead. It just all seemed too… weird. Even so, not everyone in the room shared Malka's view on the subject.

"What's wrong with that?" Nala questioned, not understanding what the problem was.

"I'm doing just fine right now, Nala," Simba stated as if he was trying to explain something dire to his mate, "I don't need Malka to show me anything."

"I agree." Malka said, backing Simba up, "You all seem to be doing fine on your own. I don't see any reason-"

"Now that's enough!" Sarabi said sternly, silencing both males. As she approached the two kings, the cubs on the sidelines began to snicker as they watched the retired queen boss around the rulers. It was very funny to them, especially to the ones who were Simba and Malka's children. Of course Simba and Malka heard them laughing, and they went into slumped positions as Sarabi came and stood next to them.

"Both of you," Sarabi scolded, "Acting like a couple of 3 month old cubs... You are both kings. You should be better than this."

"But Sarabi-"

"Ut!" Sarabi snapped, glaring at Malka, "I brought you here to help restore the Pride Lands, and that includes helping my son, your friend, get comfortable in his role as king."

"But why can't you do that?" Simba asked, trying to find a solution to this problem, "You ruled before and after Dad died. Why can't you teach me?"

"Simba…" Sarabi let out an exhausted sigh before explaining to her son, "I helped your father as much as I could, but there were things that only he knew how to do. Traditions, ceremonies, courtesies; those were all subjects that your father knew about. Such things I cannot teach you, yet Malka has learned those things from both Mufasa as well as his own father. That is why I asked him to come."

"No it wasn't." Malka stated, causing Sarabi, Nala, and Simba to swing their heads back towards Malka in surprise, "I was told that you were- Owe!" Before he could say more, Malka felt Sarabi cuffed him on the back on the head with her paw; quite painfully, for that matter. Groaning and giving the elderly lion an annoyed look, Malka said to Sarabi: "Geeze! What even?"

"Outside, Malka." Sarabi ordered, directing Malka to the outside of the den with her paw.

"What?" Malka gasped, seeing the serious look on Sarabi's face as she spoke, "That's what Zazu-"

"Now!" Sarabi ordered again, more forcefully this time. Shutting his mouth and looking towards where Sarabi was pointing, Malka decided it was best not to argue any more with her on the matter. Hesitantly, he got to his feet and slowly but surely made his way outside, along with the old lioness. Now, Simba and Nala were left alone in the den, along with the cubs who played on the sidelines.

"I can't believe this." Simba groaned to himself as he laid beside Nala.

"Now why are you unhappy?" Nala weariy asked, wondering what issue her mate possibly had now.

"My mother…" Simba shook his head as he spoke in a quiet voice, "Went behind my back and requested Malka to come and help me… and she didn't even tell him that I was even alive!" Nala shook her head in dismay. She knew Simba was probably still upset that his free day with Timon and Pumbaa was interrupted by Malka's arrival, but the queen didn't realize how sensitive Simba was at this point.

"She has her reasons, Simba." Nala calmly explained, "It's not like she's doing anything harmful. You know that she only wants what is best for you and the pride."

"I know…" Simba replied with a sigh, "I just… feel like I'm just left out of the loop sometimes. Like everyone is keeping me in the dark. I'm king now. I don't see any reason why people have to hide things from me. First Scar's guard, then Zazu's errand, and now this. I just feel like…" That's when Simba noticed it. As he talked about people _hiding_ something from him, he noticed Nala began to act peculiar. Her eyes shifted off to the side as her ears laid back against her head and she shifted her body ever so slightly. She quickly composed herself, but it wasn't quick enough to keep Simba from noticing.

"Nala?" Simba asked, noticing how she suddenly seemed nervous, "What's wrong?"

"Um…" Nala bit her lip. It was actually ironic that Simba was talking about people keeping secrets from him since… in all honesty… she was one of those people, "There's something that I… well… we… need to talk about."

"Oh no…" Simba groaned, "Nala, not you to."

"It's something good! I promise!" Nala tried to reassure her mate, "It's just… I was hoping on talking to you about it today. But… seeing how Malka arrived, I think it may be a good idea to wait till tomorrow." Simba gave Nala a curious look. It wasn't like her to keep something from him. Even when they were little they would tell each other everything. What was so important that she needed to wait to tell him?

"You can tell me now if you want." Simba assured Nala as he scooted closer to her, "I promise, I won't get mad."

"No…" Nala mulled the idea over in her head but she knew that tonight wasn't an option, especially with Simba's current stress, "Now's not a good time… or place for this. How about tomorrow? Near the Big Springs?" Simba wanted to push the issue further, but after hearing that sweet gentle tone in Nala's voice that he loved so much… he decided to go with it.

"Oh… alright." Simba conceded, which made Nala smile as she gently leaned into Simba, resting her head in his thick red mane. Seeing his mate acting playful, Simba looked down and gave Nala a gentle lick on the cheek, which caused her to let out a giggle.

"Eeew!" all the cubs, excluding Kicheko, announced in unison as they watched the married couple make out in front of them. Honestly, they still didn't get why groan ups did all that lovey dovey stuff. It was gross! Surprisingly, Kicheko didn't share neither the cub's nor his brother's view on the matter.

"What's wrong with a lick?" the hyena pup asked.

"It's just gross!" Afua stated as if it was obvious.

"Yeah," Kopa chimed in, "Why do adults do that anyway?"

"Seriously?" the pup said with a deadpanned face as he looked as the hypocrite he considered to be his brother, "Mom kisses you on the cheek every night before bed and you never complain about it." Instantly, the other cubs began laughing at Kopa, making the young cub's cheeks turn red from embarrassment.

"H-Hey!" Kopa agitatedly responded to Kicheko, "T-That's different!" yet this answer didn't convince the pup. Still, now he was no longer concerned with his brother. It was these insensitive pups who were laughing at Kopa that now got under his skin.

"What are you all laughing at?" Kicheko said to the group, "Don't your moms kiss you before bed?" instantly, the room went silent as the group of cubs began to think on what the hyena pup just told them.

"Well…" Tammy spoke up for herself and her brother Afua, "Our mommy kisses us sometimes. Daddy to." Kicheko smirked triumphantly at them for admitting the truth. Then he turned around to the litter of three.

"What about you guys?" the pup asked, yet none of them responded. They all looked away, looking sad and depressed. This surprised Kopa and Kicheko. They didn't expect this kind of reaction from them. The pup even saw the eldest of the three, Timira, have a few tears role down her muzzle. The children weren't the only ones who noticed this though. Simba and Nala saw everything that had played out before them and was about to ask what was wrong until…

"Alright, kids!" Everyone looked to see the tan lion, Mega, at the front of the den's entrance gesturing for the Stone Land cubs to come, "It's time for sleep." Afua and Tammy instantly ran towards the large male lion, while the other three looked to the ground and slowly beckoned to their father's call.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kicheko asked as he watched the cubs leave with the adult until they were out of sight.

"No, Kicheko." Simba shook his head as his kids went towards him and Nala, "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not sure what happened." As Kicheko got between Nala's paws and Kopa got between Simba's in order to go to sleep, that's when they saw Sarabi and Malka suddenly enter back into the den. Yet now Malka seemed… different.

"H-Hey guys." Malka greeted halfheartedly, "We're back." Simba observed as Malka approached him. His posture was slouched and his once happy go lucky demeanor was now replaced by a melancholy like frown. It was like whatever sadness the cubs had earlier just rubbed off on him.

"Is everything alright?" Nala asked, noticing Malka's mood as well.

"Uh… yeah." Malka said trying to compose himself. Sarabi stood by him and nudged him along, trying to encourage him to push through. After taking a long, deep breath, Malka looked at Simba with hurt in his eyes and stated sincerely: "Simba… can I ask you something?"

"Of course," was Simba's reply, "Anything." To both Simba and his family's surprised, Malka suddenly lowered his head and bowed before Simba and asked: "Would you please give me the honor of instructing you on the royal teachings and traditions of the Pride Lands?"

 **End of Chapter 20**

* * *

 **Wow... talk about a turn around. Wonder what got into Malka.**

 **In case anyone is wondering what happened early on in the chapter, I basically took the song from Lion King Broadway show "The Madness of King Scar" and threw it in. Of course there are some obvious changes since this is an entirely different background, but the rhythm is the same. Let me know what you thought of it.**

 **As usual, I hope you enjoyed what you read. If you did, then please follow and leave a review to show your support.**

 **As usual guys, thanks again and this is Rogue Lion signing off.**

 **(Salutes the reader)**

* * *

 **(Review Response)**

 **dragonbond007:  
Thanks**

 **Jestalnaker94000 :**

 **So true... but remember that lions and hyenas have a history in this story. So any hyena, big or small, will instantly put certain lions on edge depending on their past experience.**

 **Jaeson Chandler:**

 **Well... looks like we're still going to have to wait and see.**

 **Dave Bennett:**

 **Glad you caught up. Thanks so much for saying that this is the best TLK story around. I means the world to know you think that.**

 **Liam Holman:**

 **I never really thought of comparing Kopa and Kicheko to Thor and Loki. In looks perhaps but as for their brotherly relationship... well.. we'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Toothless 1998:**

 **Hmmm... Why do they act like that? I'm not sure...**

 **Guest:**

 **We can only hope they'll come to love our hyena pup friend. Also thanks for understanding why I took the week off. Writing is fun, but school comes first.**

 **Gracekim:**

 **We can only hope.**

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 **Yeah, I figured Sabini needed some screen time since not a lot of stories really mention her.**

 **As for what fuels my creativity, here is the secret... Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu mimi hapana!**

 **yingyangmaster:**

 **Since Atriss and Sabini are just leaving their teens, they are technically the youngest in the pride besides Kopa. So that made them targets.**

 **Hmmm... maybe... maybe not. We'll have to wait and see.**

 **We can only hope that things will get better, especially with Scar on the move.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Another 2 weeks another chapter.**

 **As usual, thank you so much XVLegend, Toothless 1998, Guest, Mike Noland, LouisianaFan1, Jaeson Chandler, WolfBLitzk03, dragonbond007, Incarnate Firefly, Jestalnaker94000, and Liam Holman for your consistent reviews and support. And even to the silent majority who reads and enjoys my story, it is greatly appreciated and I'm glad you are all enjoying the content I put out for you guys.**

 **Also I hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas and a happy Holliday and New Years season to all of you guys!**

 **Now, let's see what happens next! I'm so excited!**

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 **Ch. 21 A New Perspective**

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 **(Back to the Present)**

"Ok, that's enough for now."

"What?" Kiara gasped as she watched Rafiki suddenly stand to his feet and walk off. Kovu, Makini and Marifa also seemed really disappointed when they heard what Rafiki said, "That's it?"

"For now." Rafiki stated as he looked back at his anxious audience, "I've been telling dis story all morning. I need a breather." In saying that, the old mandrill went to the back corner of the tree where he proceeded to grab a couple of fruit laying around and proceeded to have a late morning breakfast. This of course left the group very disappointed, especially a certain young mandrill who had just arrived in the middle of the story.

"Oh come on!" Makini exclaimed as she sat up and threw her hands up in the air, "You can't just leave us in suspense like that, Rafiki. What did Sarabi tell Malka? Why were the cubs sad? What was Scar planning? What happened to Kopa and Kicheko?!"

"Relax Makini," Simba said calmly as he came up and placed his paw on the young apprentice's shoulder, watching as she began to breathe heavily from asking so many questions, "Rafiki isn't as young as he used to be. Plus he has a point. We could all use a quick break." Though she hated to admit it, Simba was right. Makini crossed her arms and let out an aggravated huff, letting everyone know that she was not happy that she had to wait to know what happened next.

"Seriously, Makini?" Marifa came up and stood over his companion, "Stand up. I'm younger than you and I have enough self-control to not act like a whiny toddler."

"Hmph!" Makini turned away from Marifa, "Well I'm not moving until Rafiki comes back to finish the story." Marifa sighed as he went to fetch his staff and walk towards the other members of Simba's family. He knew it was pointless to argue with Makini. When she set her mind to something she followed through with it, no matter how childish her reasons were.

"So… what now?" Marifa asked the group? "Should we continue the tour?" looking around, he saw by their unsure expressions that everyone was not too keen on that idea. After all, they could learn about the other Kings of the Past later. The time during Simba's reign was all that mattered to them right now.

"I have a better idea." Nala spoke up as she got to her feet, "How about we all go outside and stretch our legs for a moment." She then turned to Kiara and Kovu as she continued: "Besides, I think we could all use some lunch right about now."

"Oh yeah," Kiara chimed in, remembering that she hadn't really eaten anything all morning, "We… stayed longer than we intended, didn't we?" It was true. No one was expecting to stay this long at Rafiki's. Simba merely wanted to show Kiara and Kovu the Tree of Life and the history of the Pride Lands. This venture had turned into more of a special event rather than a royal outing. Realizing this, Simba also remembered that there were some things he had better take care of if they were all going to remain here and listen to the rest of the story.

"We certainly did." Simba answered to his daughter's remark. That's when he decided to suggest something to the group: "How about you and Nala go out hunting while I go take care of some things real quick? Rafiki should be ready to continue by the time we all get back."

"Sounds good to me." Nala replied, "We need something to pass the time."

"I'll tag along to." Kovu offered as he and Kiara stood up, "I'm sure we'll have better success if I help out with the hunt."

"That sounds good to me." Nala said as she looked back at her mate for approval, to which Simba naturally nodded his head.

"Very well. It's settled." Simba stated, "We'll all meet back at Rafiki's tree in an hour or so. Then we'll continue the story." Everyone agreed with Simba's statement and soon, the royal family began to make their way towards the exit that led down to the base of Rafiki's tree.

As Marifi watched them descend down the staircase, he quickly ran over to one of the branches that stretched out from the tree. He got to the edge just in time to watch as Simba went into the direction of Pride Rock while Nala, Kiara, and Kovu headed out towards the hunting grounds. The young apprentice hated to see them go. He was enjoying the fresh company. Of course he knew they would be back later so he might was well enjoy what he had right now. For once again, peace and quiet filled the room.

"Hey, Marifa," Marifa gritted his teeth when he heard Makini suddenly talk behind him. He was expecting her to nag him about something or to state how something bothered her, but what she said actually surprised him, "Do… you know what happened to Kopa?" Marifa turned back towards Makini, who was looking at him with deep concern. This wasn't the whining girl that he saw earlier on the ground pouting with her arms crossed. It seemed as though Makini was now very serious.

"Honestly…" Marifa replied as he slowly made his way back into the room of the tree, "I'm not sure."

"It's just… strange." Makini said with deep thought as she looked back at the worn painting of Kopa on the tree, "Why would Rafiki keep this hidden from everyone? From us? It's just-"

"It wasn't your place to know." Both apprentices turned back to see that their master, Rafiki had returned and his expression seemed grave as he continued, "Those events were a secret dat I as well as de rest of de Pride Lands kept in order to preserve de future."

"B-But Rafiki." Makini tried to reason, "I thought that you taught us that we should never run from out past, that we should remember it and learn from it? That way we can prepare for the future."

"Dat is true," Rafiki conceded, yet he still kept his serious attitude, "Yet dis is a special case." Both apprentices looked at their master curiously as he walked up to where Kopa's painting was on the tree. Rafiki then put his hands behind his back and shook his head. With a sigh, he explained: "Much has happened over de years. So much heartache… so much pain. Scar had started a legacy of deception and disgrace from before either of you were even born. And de kingdom has suffered for it ever since. Simba realized dis pattern and wanted to break it."

"What do you mean?" Marifa asked as he and Makini walked up behind their mentor and followed his gaze towards the painting.

"I was asked by Simba to keep des events secret," Rafiki explained with a heavy tone in his voice, "In order to ensure de next generation would grow up with a happy and cheerful leader. Not one ruled by fear and heartache, but one with compassion and joy that would be a beacon for all broken souls to flock to. By keeping dis from Kiara, we hoped dat she would grow up in a world without pain… or sorrow, in which she in turn would model her rule after such ideals."

Both students just remained silent, as they just kept their gaze fixed upon the painting of Kopa, all the while deep in thought on what Rafiki had told them. This was news to Makini since she arrived during the middle of the story being told. Marifa knew these things already, yet the way Rafiki pointed it out put the whole ordeal in an entirely new light for the young mandrill. This was more than just making sure Kiara had a good childhood… it was making sure she didn't become hurt or scared by some traumatizing event.

Both Simba and Nala had gone through things during their youth that no one should have ever gone though. The loss of family and loved ones, the constant resistance from dark forces wanting to destroy all that they had worked so hard to build… the young apprentices couldn't help but wonder at the concept. If none of those things ever did happen, would Nala and Simba have come out the same? And if not, would it be for better or worse? Such thoughts were meaningless since there was no sense dealing with 'ifs', but Kiara… she had been shielded all her life from these things. Would finding out about this hurt her the way it hurt Simba and Nala?

"Wow…" Makini mulled over everything she had just heard, and though it made sense, there was one thing that she couldn't understand. Looking back at her mentor, she asked: "So… if that's the case, then why did you keep this part of the history if it would risk Kiara festering hurt towards everyone? Why not just… get rid of it?"

"Because that would be just cruel, Makini." Marifa explained calmly, "Could you imagine if something happened to me and you all just decide to forget about me and leave me forgotten in time? This is Simba's son, Rafiki is talking about. Of course he's going to remember him. He was in the line of kings after all." Seeing both his students talk about this matter made Rafiki smile internally. They were learning quickly.

"You both bring up excellent points," Rafiki turned around and stated, earning his student's attention, "You see… it would be easy just to forget about all of dis and be done with it since it had de capabilities to harm Kiara at such a young age. Dat is why Simba kept dis story hidden for so long. He hoped to be de one to tell her about all dat had happened when she came of age. Yet… it would seems de burden has fallen upon me thanks to Simba's clear lack of planning."

"Simba's lack of- what is that supposed to mean?" Makini asked, not sure if she heard her master right. Rafiki sighed as he answered: "You see… Simba had originally planned on telling Kiara about her older brother as well as de events dat led up to her berth and presentation. He told me dat he would be ready when de time came, but de fact dat I am de one telling dis story shows me dat it was as I had feared."

"And?" Marifa asked cautiously, "What might that be?" Rafiki's gaze then went out towards Pride Rock, in the direction Simba had went not too long ago. Shaking his head in dismay, Rafiki simply stated: "Simba is still not willing to accept all dat has happened."

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Meanwhile, Simba was currently wandering through the Pride Lands, going in what appeared to be no clear direction. He was going in the direction of Pride Rock… at first. But his mind just kept on swimming with all that he had heard. The moment he got out of sight of Rafiki's tree he dropped the happy façade and actually allowed himself to frown for the first time since the story began. Though Rafiki told the story to everyone, Simba found himself picturing everything that was being said. Every event… every moment… to Simba it was like recalling everything that happened the other day. It was all so… vivid. At first this was something pleasant, a way to re-live those happy moments in his life… yet… as he continued listening, he realized what was coming, and he dreaded it.

He knew Kiara had to hear this story, in fact, he should have been the one telling it. The moment Kiara asked him about what happened to Kopa, he just froze. It was like the events that the Lion King stayed quiet about for so long refused to come out. If it wasn't for Rafiki jumping in then there was no telling what he would have said, if anything at all. Simba thought he would be ready for this day, but in reality he wasn't. Even after all of this time, Simba struggled with the fact that his son was gone… all of his boys were still gone. Nothing has changed

As Simba approached a nearby secluded pond of water, he looked down at this reflection. Not much had really changed over the years. Sure he had gotten a bit larger and his knowledge of the Pride Lands was nothing like it was during his youth, but he was still that same poor, miserable heap of a lion that couldn't seem to let go of the past.

Why? Why couldn't he just accept the facts and move on? Why couldn't he just listen to what Malka told him? Why did he have to hope for the impossible after all this time? Whether it was from the thoughts going through his head or the fact that he once again felt like he messed up as a parent, the king found himself looking to the sky and asking for guidance.

"Father help me…" he said in a hushed voice, "I know Kiara needs to hear this… and… I need to as well. It's just… hard. Harder than I ever imagined it would be." Simba then shook his head as he tried to come to terms with himself on the matter. But part of him just… couldn't…

"Kopa… Kicheko…" Simba whispered to himself. "I don't know if you can hear me or not. But please… show me how to tell Kiara the truth… and… show me the truth as well. And if you can't… then please Father, at least let me know I'm not a fool for still holding on." He then looked to the sky for an answer, yet as usual, there was nothing… or so he thought.

Sighing in defeat, Simba turned back towards Pride Rock in order to take care of some unfinished business. But right as he was beginning to walk away the wind blew across his mane and then…

 _Don't give up hope…_

Simba's eyes widened as he heard what sounded like a still, small voice whisper those words in his ear. Turning back around he looked to the sky, yet still there was no sign of his Father's spirit. Just the wind. There may not have been anyone there, but Simba knew he got his answer. It… wasn't what he expected, especially after all this time, yet it was enough to calm him on the matter. Perhaps… this was something that he would also share with Kiara… when the time was right. With his spirit lifted and his mind at ease, Simba looked back in the direction where wind blew and muttered two small words: "Thank you."

"Sire!"

Suddenly, Simba turned back to see Zazu the hornbill flying towards him. Instantly Simba composed himself and acted as if nothing happened. Though Simba was happy to see his majo domo, he still didn't want anyone to see him like this.

"Zazu. There you are." Simba greeted cheerfully as the bird landed in front of him. Though Simba was happy to see him, Zazu seemed very frantic when he landed.

"Thank the Kings!" The hornbill breathed with a sigh of relief, "I was beginning to fear the worst! You know how long you've been gone? Everyone at Pride Rock has been worrying about you all."

"I know, I know." Simba apologized as if he was still that mischievous cub from his youth being scolded by the bird, "We all sort of lost track of the time. You would too if you found what we found."

"And what might that be?" Zazu questioned, curious as to what Simba was talking about. Simba then explained to Zazu about how they uncovered the section of Rafiki's wall that talked about his early years as well as his first born son Kopa. When Zazu heard this, he couldn't help but give Simba a small smile.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Zazu exclaimed with delight, "Honestly I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever come around to telling Kiara about those rascals."

"Yeah… well…" Simba shrugged, not knowing what else to say, "That's… kind of why I am out here." Zazu looked at his king questioningly, but he had a good idea on what Simba was about to tell him. Straightening up, Simba issued: "Zazu, I need you to clear the rest of my day. I know I had some places to be later on, but if anyone asks then-"

"Of course, sire." Zazu said graciously as he held out his wings for emphasis, "Everyone will understand why you couldn't make it. And those who won't… well… I'll handle them. But rest assured that you have nothing to worry about. You take your time and tell Kiara what she needs to know." Simba looked down and smiled at his old friend. He was very grateful for his help, more so now than he ever was during his youth. Over time he had come to respect the hornbill and his job and even now as the time flew by and he became older, the major domo was still ready and willing to help.

"Thank you Zazu." Simba affirmed, "I truly appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it, Sire." Zazu responded as he flew up and hovered in front of the king, "Always a pleasure to serve the royal family." In saying that, Zazu took to the sky, yet right before he left he remembered something important that he needed to pass on to the Lion King.

"Oh! And Sire?" Zazu called back.

"What is it, Zazu?" Simba asked, though he wasn't prepared for what Zazu was about to tell him.

"I was told to inform you that Vitani currently has 4 kills. Tiifu and Zuri currently have 2." In saying that, the blue hornbill flew off towards Pride Rock to let everyone know that Simba was dealing with a… family matter.

As Simba watched his good friend fly away, he shook his head and chuckled at what he was told. Those girls were still in competition with each other. Simba didn't know what surprised him more, the fact that it was nearly noon and they were still out hunting or the fact that Vitani was winning against two huntresses. Well… maybe that last part wasn't surprising.

Simba was about to start heading back to Rafiki's tree, when a sudden voice spoke up behind him.

"Even after all this time, you still have that bird jumping through hoops for you." Simba flicked his ears and quickly turned around to see who was there yet there was no one.

"Who's there?" Simba questioned, looking around for the speaker.

"Some things never change." The voice said again. Simba then pinpointed the sound of the voice to be coming from the tall grass nearby. Getting into a defensive stance he ordered: "Show yourself!" This demand was met with a hearty chuckle from the mysterious being.

"Relax." The voice replied casually. Suddenly, the grass began to rustle and Simba's body grew tense and he prepared for a fight if it came to that. However, as the figure emerged from the grass, Simba's body relaxed and his expression changed from serious to shocked in an instance. For he recognized the lion who emerged from the grass.

"You surprise me." The lion said as he stepped forward towards Simba, who was still trying to process who he was speaking with, "Last I heard the Pride Lands won the war against the Out Lands. So why so tense, old friend?"

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While that was going on, near Rafiki's tree, Nala, Kiara, and Kovu had just returned from their hunt. They managed to snag an impala during their hunt yet they decided not to eat until Simba had returned. Now they were all waiting under the shade of the tree for Simba to come back. As they laid there at the entrance, Makini stuck her head out from a pile of leaves on a low branch and called out: "Are you sure you don't want to come inside? Master Rafiki is almost ready to begin the story again."

"It's alright, Makini." Nala looked up and called back to the young mandrill, "We'll be inside in a moment. I don't think Rafiki would appreciate us bringing our kill in his tree." Nodding her head understandingly, Makini zipped her head back inside the tree, causing a few leafs to fall off the branches. Nala appreciated the gesture, but she didn't want to start without Simba. This was a sensitive subject for both of them and she wanted him to be present when Rafiki began telling the story once again about his early rule and their son.

Their son…

Nala did not deny that her heart ached when she first saw the painting of her first born on the wall. He was her prince… her son… her baby. Yet as she listened, that feeling began to change. To hear the story about him and Simba gave the queen some form of happiness. She remembered those times well and she wished with all her heart that she could experience them again. Despite the outcome in the end, Nala was more than happy to sit and listen to the history of her son and his fate. In a way… it brought her some measure of peace.

"Hey, Mom." Nala tore her gaze from the tree and looked back at her daughter as she continued, "Any idea when Dad will get back?"

"Actually…" Nala began, looking back in the direction Simba went earlier, "He should be back soon. He just had to make sure there was nothing going on today that he had to take care of."

"Well I hope he hurries back." Kovu stated, though his eyes were still fixed on their kill, "I haven't eaten all morning." There was no denying it, Kovu was desperate for a bite of impala. Sure the ex-Outlander may have gone days without food in his past, but ever since he came into the Pride Lands, Kovu learned to appreciate the simple things in life. Such as a 3 course meal.

"Kovu?" Kiara questioned, yet Kovu didn't answer. His emerald eyes were locked onto the carcass. Realizing that her boyfriend's stomach was speaking for his mind, Kiara decided to snap him out of his trance. Using her tail like a whip, she snapped it across Kovu's nose, making him yelp in pain and jump back from the impala.

"Kiara?!" his growled as he rubbed his sore nose with his paw, "What was that for?"

"You should know better than to ignore me, dear." Kiara said in a sweet and gentle tone, though Kovu knew that Kiara's actions were anything but gentle, "Plus you heard what my mom said: no eating until Dad comes back."

"Grrr…" Kovu let out a disgruntle growl. He knew that eating before Simba got back was out of the question, but still… "Alright, but next time you ignore me, don't be surprised if you come out with a red nose." Nala chuckled as she watched Kiara and Kovu interact. She was glad to see them getting along so well, especially since Kovu was more than likely to ask Kiara to be his mate soon. Everyone knew it was bound to happen eventually, but Nala wished the young lion would just hurry up and ask for her daughter's paw already. She hated to rush things, but Nala knew she wasn't getting any younger and she would like to see them on the throne before her time came.

"Nala! Kiara! Kovu!" the group turned to the sound of Simba's voice calling for them. As they looked back they saw Simba approaching them, but it appeared that he wasn't alone, "You'll never guess who I ran into!"

"Simba?" Nala said out loud as she squinted her eyes to try and see who the newcomer was.

"Who is that?" Kiara asked as she and Kovu noticed the lion next to Simba. As the two got closer neither Kiara nor Kovu knew who this guy was, but Nala began to recognize certain features. That light pelt… that orange colored mane… those amber eyes… no… it couldn't be. Nala's face began to brighten as the newcomer and Simba approached them. Then when they were finally in front of them, the orange maned lion bowed his head and said: "It's good to see you again, Nala."

"Mega!" Nala exclaimed in delight as she ran up and hugged her old friend. The Stonelander let out a hearty laugh as he felt Nala throw herself into him and happily say: "It's so good to see you again!"

"You as well, my queen." Mega returned the gesture. Kiara and Kovu watched from the sidelines in shock. They may not have known the lion but they sure knew the name. Mega… he was one of the Stonelander guards who came with Malka to help Simba! They just heard about him and now here he was!

"What are you doing here?" Nala asked as she pulled away from him, "I thought the Guard is never too far from their king? Is Malka here as well?"

"Heh… no." Mega said with a smile, "Malka is still back home running the kingdom. You see, Nala, I recently retired."

"Retired?" Simba raised an eyebrow at his old friend, "I didn't realize that was possible in your position."

"Well… it is." Mega assured them with a toothy grin, "You see, I recently passed the torch down to my boy, Babu. Top of his class and a fighter just like his old man, so we decided to welcome him into the guard and take my place. So Malka gave me leave to travel the lands for a while to enjoy the freedom of not being bound by my duties. I recently heard that the Pride Lands were once again safe to travel to, so I decided to drop in and visit." This was an unexpected surprise for Simba and Nala. No one had seen hide or tail of Malka and his group since they returned to the Stone Lands all those years ago. To see Mega back and in good health was certainly a delight.

It was then that Mega noticed Kiara and Kovu on the sidelines watching him intently. He had no idea who Kovu was, but something about Kiara seemed… familiar.

"And who are these two?" Mega said, gesturing to Kiara and Kovu with his head. Before Nala or Simba had a chance to respond, Kiara stepped up and said: "I'm Kiara and this is Kovu. It's nice to meet you, Mega. I've heard so much about you."

"Kiara?!" Mega eyes widened as he approached the golden lioness. He took a moment to just look at her before stating: "Wow… you sure sprouted! The last time I saw you, you were no bigger than my paw!"

"A lot has happened since you all left, my friend." Said Simba as he walked up beside Mega.

"I can see that." Mega smiled back. It was good to see that everyone was once again doing well. Even after all that had happened, Simba was still bright and cheery. Mega didn't know if it was genuine or not, but the fact that the kingdom was alright and that the herds were ok led him to believe that everything was once again alright.

"So if you don't mind me asking…" Mega began, "What are you all doing out here with the monkeys?"

"It's a… long story." Kovu stated, trying to find the right way to put it.

"You see," Kiara added, "We were here to learn about the Kings of the Past, but then we found this secret history part of the tree about my brother Kopa."

"Wait…" Mega realized what Kiara just said, "You don't know about your brother?" Kiara responded with a shake of her head as she answered: "No. I just learned about him today. I actually just learned about you to. You came to the Pride Lands with your son Babu and your daughters, Timara and Boga. Right?"

"That's right…" Mega confirmed, but he was still in shock about what he was told. He looked back at Simba and asked with a concerned voice: "You're just telling her about him now?"

"Well… you see…" Simba tried to explain, but the Stone Lander knew that Simba stuttering was really him saying, 'yes'.

"Honestly, Simba." Mega sighed as he shook his head in dismay, "You are probably the worst when it comes to timing. Seriously! You come back home at the peak of Scar's tyranny, you almost missed your daughter's birth, you always slept in, you-"

"Wait… what?" Kiara agitatedly asked when she realized what Mega just said. She looked at her father, who was looking nervously at Nala for support, and asked: "You missed me being born?!"

"Almost!" Simba corrected, "I almost missed it. But I got there just in time." He hoped that answer would suffice but Kiara was clearly agitated at this point.

"What could have been so important," Kiara began, "that it caused you to almost miss me bring born?" Simba was about to respond, but Mega cut in.

"Don't be too hard on your father, princess." Mega soothed the young lioness, "Simba here was under a lot of stress during that time. Between Malka's training and Scar's sudden attacks against the Pride Lands things were really hectic."

"Wait… sudden attacks?" Kovu asked, which earned a sly look from the orange maned lion. It was clear that Kiara and this guy Kovu were just learning about what had happened all those years ago. But how much was unclear to him. Since he had just arrived onto the scene, Mega figured he might as well help out in telling these young lions what he knew.

"Before I go on," said Mega, "How much of the story do you guys know?" Kiara and Kovu explained to him about how they had gone through much of Simba's past. From Kopa's birth to Malka's arrival in the Pride Lands. It was there that Mega's brow furrowed when he realized where they were at. They were just on the edge of where the story began to take a turn for the worst.

"I see…" Mega calmly sighed as they finished explaining to him where they were at, "So when is that monkey coming back to tell the story?"

"We don't know." Kiara said truthfully, "I guess whenever he's done eating."

"That's going to take forever," Mega waved his paw at the thought, "So how about this: I'll tell you what I know and you can all listen until Rafiki is done. How does that sound?" Of course there was no objections to that offer, much to Mega's delight. As he laid down in the shade under the tree, Simba and his family followed suit. Kiara, Nala, and Simba listented closly to what Mega had to say, all the while Kovu began to quietly enjoy the impala that was killed earlier.

"Alright…" Mega began as he looked at his audience, "So this is what I know. Back in the day, Malka was invited to come to help restore the Pride Lands thanks to an invitation from Sarabi. I, some guards, and my cubs as well as Malka's cubs accompanied Simba to the Pride Lands. Upon arrival, we meet Simba and his family, along with Kopa and that hyena pup who Simba adopted. Now what was his name… Cappuccino? Kampeko?"

"Kicheko." Kiara corrected.

"Yeah, that's the one." Mega said graciously, "So anyway, after learning that the sole reason for being brought to the Pride Lands was to train Simba, my king, Malka, decided to help him out. Little did your father know, Kiara, that his training was starting bright and early the following day. No one knew, however, that that was the day that Scar decided to make his first move. Not against Simba… but against us."

 **End of Chapter 21**

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 **So there you have it. Mega is now on the scene telling us his side of the story. I wonder how Rafiki will react to that.**

 **It still wonder what will happen to our young heroes in this story. I also wonder what Simba went through in this as well... hmmm...**

 **Once again, thank you so much for your continual support. If this story can reach 200 reviews by the end of this year than that would definetly make this Christmas one to remember for me.**

 **As always, thank yo so much again. This is Rogue Lion Signing off**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

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 _ **Review Response**_

 **XVLegend:**

 **I'm glad to hear that. And it means a lot to know you are really enjoying the story. I hope you stick around for the upcoming content.**

 **Toothless 1998:**

 **I admit that the song could have been introduced a bit better... but hey, trial by error. Also, Malka will certainly have an interesting role as well as story in all of this.**

 **Guest:**

 **Well Simba and Nala adopted him but he doesn't really have that "prince" status. He just hangs out with Kopa and their like brothers. Also, I've yet to meet a character who's personality everyone loves, so if you find him annoying then hey, he's an annoying pup. That's just how it is.**

 **I haven't forgotten for Asante but I'm using content from the movies, the LG series, and the TLK 6 adventures books. Not the German tapes. They (in my opinion) throw everything out of whack in the timeline plus I didn't feel like she was really needed in this story (Sorry Asante fans). We now have Jasiri who is a female hyena who gets along with Simba's son and who constantly says "Asante" so I figured that was a nice little tribute by Disney for her character. And since we now have her and her sister, Madoa, I figured that there was no reason to throw in another female hyena as a character. But in order to keep the story fresh, (and to connect the dots to some LG lore) I threw in an OC hyena and kept the concept of Kopa having a hyena friend.**

 **So yeah... that's my reasoning behind it all.**

 **Mike Noland:**

 **That's the plan. I'm glad you're intrigued.**

 **LouisianaFan1:**

 **In case some readers forget about certain events I do admit that I recap on things so that people can follow the content easy. I'm glad you liked the music as well. I wasn't to sure about it. Thanks again.**

 **Jaeson Chandler:**

 **Glad you liked it. Every 2 weeks. You review and I'll keep posting.**

 **WolfBLitzk03:**

 **Next chapter... it's the next chapter after this one that's going to be intense. Sorry.**

 **:D**

 **dragonbond007:**

 **I loved the broadway performance to. This song was actually from it but I had to make some tweeks in order for it to fit right. Still I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 **No worries. I do it to kind of humanize the character in the sense. Using terms like those just make them more connectible in my opinion. No offence taken. I enjoy people saying their mind in the comment section. (Just as long as it's respectable of course)**

 **Hmmm... is Malka the one Vita has a history with or is it someone else that Malka knows? Oh the inevitable conflict.**

 **Yes, Sarabi does have her moments... but what did she tell Malka I wonder.**

 **As for Nala...I'm also glad to see that you catch on to things like that.**

 **Jestalnaker94000:**

 **What are they planning indeed... won't know till you read more I guess.**

 **:D**

 **Liam Holman:**

 **Patience pays off. I was worried about the song but I'm glad you liked it. I'd say it will only go up from here... but... well... you know... villains**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello again everyone. Man it feels like it's been so long since I posted one of these.**

 **(Looks at the last update.)**

 **Oh man! The last update was back in 2017! I'm so sorry for the year wait.**

 **XD**

 **Here's a new chapter to make it up to you all. Cheers to 2018!**

 **But of course... I have to thank BlackLouie, The Candy Man234, LouisianaFan1 Toothless 1998, SunRise19, XVLegend, WolfBLitzk03, Incarnate Firefly, Jaeson Chandler, Jestalnaker94000, dragonbond007, and Liam Holman for your consistent reviews. I'm truly happy that you all are enjoying this.**

 **Also, this story has passed the 200 review mark! Thank you all so much for that!**

 **(Now it's the follower number that needs a bit of work) lol.**

 **But anyway, let's see how this story goes through Mega's point of view. Shall we?**

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 **Ch. 22 Malka Sends His Regards**

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 **(Back to the Story)**

That night was a peaceful one at Pride Rock. Simba and his pride were asleep in their usual quarters while Malka and his Stonelanders slept in the lower dens, which were prepared for them by Zazu. Despite Malka's… hesitance, he eventually agreed to help teach Simba about the royal duties of the Lion King. Like Malka, Simba was a bit unsure about his best friend teaching him how to take on the role of being king. Yet, with Nala and Sarabi's coaxing, he eventually gave in. Simba gave himself the benefit of the doubt, believing that this would be like the times his father would talk to him about certain matters and make him watch how things were properly done. What Simba did not count on was the method of Malka's training. For even though the Stone Lander king was a rather laid-back kind of lion, when it came to serious matters he took his job very seriously. That included training Simba.

For the first lesson, however, he would not be teaching him alone.

In the darkness, near the borders of the Pride Lands, Zazu was making his way back towards Pride Rock. Behind walked three adult elephants. One was the elephant herd leader, Aminifu and the others were his mate and daughter. That night, Malka sent Zazu to Kitilo Valley, where the elephants lived, to tell Aminifu that his presence was requested at the waterhole in the Pride Lands. Naturally, the old pachyderm accepted the invitation without a moment's notice, but this time, however, he would not be going alone. Kitilo Valley was a good distance from Pride Rock and though Aminifu had made several journeys in the past to assist Simba, this morning he decided to bring his family along. It had been some time since they had all been in these lands together, and since there was no longer any danger, the old elephant decided to bring them back once more.

The three were led back with Zazu flying just ahead of them and all the while Aminifu would tell jokes or humorous stories from his youth to keep the journey lively.

"So, then I said to zebra," Aminifu concluded his story in a dramatic tone, "I say, old chap, why the _long face_?" This conclusion earned a hearty laugh from his daughter and mate, all the while Zazu just groaned in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. After flying from Kitio Valley and back all morning, the elephant's jokes began to grow old.

"Oh, that was a good one, father." Aminifu's daughter said with a laugh.

"Yes, very funny dear." His mate added.

"Oh, come now," Aminifu said modestly, "You think that's funny, you clearly never heard about the time I fell head first into a dung heap." Instantly, the two females let out trumpeting laughter. They knew very well what incident Aminifu was referring to, and they had heard it so many times, that just the mere mention of the incident made them laugh.

"Step lively now." Zazu said as he silently thanked that Kings that they had reached the boarder of the Pride Lands, "We are now entering the realm of his majesty, King Simba." Upon saying that, the group stopped and looked out at the vast land that was the Pride Lands. It was still morning, so the land before them was covered in a mixture of bright gold and orange color. In all his years, Aminifu and his family had seen this scene several times and each time it amazed them still.

"No matter how many times I've come here," Aminifu said with a smile, "It seems as though this land becomes more and more beautiful by the day.

"That's because it does, Father." Aminifu's daughter said with a chuckle, "The Pride Lands aren't fully green yet. It's all still growing back." This statement caused the old elephant to look back at his daughter with pride in his eyes. It had seemed like it was only yesterday that he could hold his daughter in his trunk. Now, she was considered a full-fledged adult. Her long white tusked showed her maturity, while her size and bright smile showed her wisdom.

"My dear Ma Tembo." Aminifu sighed as he stroked the cheek of his daughter with his trunk, "When did my little one grow into such a fine, young elephant?"

"Father…" Ma Tembo responded, embarrassed by how he still treated her like a child. This of course earned a hearty laugh from the old herd leader.

"Ahem." The group turned back to see Zazu hovering just in front of them, having an impatient look on his face, "I do not mean to be rude, but we have a very important meeting to go to and I would not wish to keep his Highness waiting for you to arrive, Aminifu."

"Er, yes. Quite right." Aminifu said as he took a few steps forward. But as he did so, he looked back to see that his mate had fallen behind a bit and she looked rather fatigued.

"My dear?" Aminifu called back to his mate, "Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry." The she elephant replied, "I'm fine Aminifu. I'm just… not used to these long walks."

"Hmm…" Aminifu pondered about this. Of course, he wanted to stop and wait for his mate to regain her strength, yet at the same time he truly didn't want to delay any longer. Simba was most likely waiting for him at the waterhole right this moment. He had to meet him there… yet… he did not wish to leave his mate alone.

"Don't worry, Father." Aminifu's brow raised as he saw his daughter go and stand by her mother, "I'll stay here with Mom. You go and meet with the king."

"But Ma Tembo…" Aminifu wanted to argue that he wanted them all to be together, but Zazu quickly saw this as a chance to get some rest. After all, it had been a very early morning for him and a few minutes rest couldn't hurt. Aminifu knew his way around the Pride Lands, plus Zazu could always catch up when he woke up.

"Perfect!" the hornbill exclaimed with glee, "Ma Tembo and I can stay and watch over your mate while you go and meet with his Majesty. They'll be sure to catch back up when they are rested." Aminifu looked at Zazu for a moment, pondering what he had just been told. He was well aware of the hornbill's knack for punctuality, and though he two desired to be at his destination on time, he did not feel like it would be proper to leave his family unattended. Despite the Pride Lands once again being safe, he knew it was better not to leave anything to chance. Still… Zazu was willing to stay with them, so if anything went wrong he could always come and get him or Simba for help.

"Very well." Aminifu bowed down to the hornbill's suggestion, "I will press on. However…" his eyes then went towards Ma Tembo, giving his daughter a serious look, "I want you both to be making your way to the waterhole within the hour."

"Oh, Father," Ma Tembo sighed, "We've been to the Pride Lands before. We'll catch up, I promise."

"Oh…" the old elephant sighed, knowing that he was probably babying to poor girl yet again, "Very well." Having said that, Aminifu turned and started making his way towards the waterhole at Pride Rock to see what all the hullabaloo was about. As he walked away though, Ma Tembo sighed and slowly lowered herself next to her mother, who was currently kneeling on the ground.

"It's ok, my child." Ma Tembo's mother said calmly, "Aminifu just worries about you. You are the future of our herd you know."

"I know, Mother." Ma Tembo sighed as she rested beside the old elephant, "I just wish he would start treating me like an adult. My tusks are fully grown for crying out loud."

"I know my darling…" her mother understandingly said with a sigh, "I know."

While the two elephants relaxed and rested in the tall green grass, Zazu flew down and perched on a low tree branch and made himself comfortable. He wouldn't be staying their long. Maybe a minute or two and then they would head back towards Pride Rock. Still, it felt good to stop and rest for a moment. As he felt himself slowly drifting off into sleep…

"Hehehehehe…"

"Hm?" Zazu's eyes slowly opened as he looked around to what that was. It almost sounded like… laughter? No… it couldn't be. Looking around, Zazu squinted his eyes as if to try and make out what was going on around him. Both the elephants, Ma Tembo and her mother, were resting soundly by the tree he was on, and there appeared to be no other animals in the vicinity.

"Odd…" Zazu said out loud as he continued looking around, "I could have sworn I hear-Mmph!"

Suddenly, a black paw clamped down over Zazu's bill and pulled him down into a nearby bush. The hornbill struggled and tried to call for help, yet his cries only came out as muffled sounds through his shut beak. Right before he could comprehend who his attackers were, Zazu was suddenly struck over the back of his head. The hornbill's eyes slowly rolled towards the back of his head as he saw the world around him slowly fade to black. All he could make out was the distinct sound of laughter that could be heard as he faded from consciousness.

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"Hehehehehehehehaaaaaaa…"

"Shut up you moron." Shenzi snapped. She hoped that Ed's little funny moment didn't get them noticed. As the hyena peered out of the bush, she saw that neither elephants noticed their presence. In fact, they were both sound asleep. Shenzi didn't know whether to smile or be worried at this point. It was one thing to have a plan go perfectly… yet it was another thing to have it told exactly how it would go by the very lion whom she despised so much. Yes… Scar had given them an errand to run. And now, it seemed as though they had played their part.

"So, Shenzi." The hyena turned to see Banzi and Ed licking their lips as they stood over the unconscious hornbill, "We gonna have ourselves some hornbill or what?" Seeing that her mate's stomach was where his brain should be, Shenzi quickly came back into the bush and stood over the hornbill in a defensive manner.

"No, you dimwits." Shenzi seethed in a hushed tone, "We need this guy alive."

"Awe come on!" Banzi responded in a disappointed tone, "We sneak into the Pride Lands to get ourselves a good meal and you won't even let us eat the bird? Do you know how long I've wanted to eat this dodo?"

"Yayayayaya!" Ed nodded eagerly, thinking along the same lines as Banzi. Shenzi however, had other priorities.

"No!" She snapped, causing both males to shut up, "We're here for bigger things than hornbills, boys." She then gestured outside of the bush with her head. As Banzi looked out he saw only the sleeping elephants. Though he wasn't the brightest hyena in the pack, Banzi immediately understood what Shenzi was talking about. And he didn't like it one bit.

"We're hunting… elephants?" he said, trying to make sure he connected the dots right in his head. "You got to be kidding Shenzi! Those two got like 10,000 pounds on us!" Banzi's statement was met with a couple of slaps across the face from his wife.

"First off," Shenzi smirked playfully as she back-pawed him across the face yet again, "You never mention a lady's weight." Her statement was met with another cackle from Ed on the sidelines, "Second off, we're not the one's hunting them. We're making sure that blabber bill over there won't be able to fly off and tell those lions at Pride Rock what's really going on."

"Oh…" Banzi nodded his head… but… he still didn't understand what was happening, "So… what' really going on, Shenzi?" The hyena matriarch remained silent for a moment. Looking back at the two sleeping giants, she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about her roll that she was playing in all of this. Her smile from earlier slowly began to turn into a frown as she continued to look at them. She knew what was about to happen… what they were about to do. The hyena just took comfort in knowing that her and her pack would soon be out of harm's way… for good this time. Knowing that their job was done, Shenzi began walking away into the underbrush, but not without telling Banzi: "Bad things, Banzi. Really… bad… things." Banzi looked back at Ed for a moment, not fully understanding what Shenzi meant. Without saying another word, both males followed after their leader in the underbrush, leaving behind and unconscious Zazu, and two elephants all alone in the savannah.

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While all of this was taking place by the border, back at Pride Rock, Malka along with two of his guards, Mega and Leo, were waiting outside of the upper den of Pride Rock where Simba and his family slept. The sun was just starting to rise over the hill where they were at, so the dawn was just starting. The three male lions waited casually, seeing if anyone inside would stir or come out, yet as Malka suspected, the entire pride was fast asleep… including Simba.

"Well, boys." Malka sighed as he looked inside at his sleeping student, "It would appear we have our work cut out for us this morning." Though Malka seemed up and chipper, his two guards were still trying to shake off their exhaustion. After all, it was just past 5 in the morning.

"Remind me again…" Leo began in a dreary voice as he let out a loud yawn that sounded like a small roar, "What is this about, Malka?"

"I told you," Malka said with a groan, having to tell his guards now for the 100th time, "I'm going to begin training Simba today and you guys are going to help me."

"But…" Mega responded, having the same tired tone in his voice, "The sun hasn't even risen yet."

"Precisely." Stated Malka happily, "Lion King rule number 1: a king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun, therefor his duties start as the sun rises. Simba can't afford to sleep in. if he does, then he risks being late for meetings, becoming lazy, and above all… is unprepared for the day. He must awake before the day starts, if he is ready to take it on." Though Malka talked with passion, he did not arouse any excitement from his fellow guardsmen, which was a bit disappointing to the Stone Lander king. Instead, they just looked at him with dreary frowns as the forced themselves to stay awake.

"That's all well and good…" Leo wearily said as he put his paw over his mouth to cover another yawn, "but it sounds to me like this is all king stuff. Why did you have to drag us along?"

"Because…" Malka explained, "We're going to start Simba out on _your_ morning training regiment to wake him up. Then after he's fully awake we'll get into the royal lesson." This answer earned a surprised look from Mega and Leo. They were both very familiar with their morning training regiment, which involved long mile sprints, a fitness workout, and a swimming session. It was one thing to make an inexperience lion go through training meant for professionals, but it was another thing to make the professionals go through the exact same regiment while they were away from home.

"With all due respect, your grace," Mega said in an aggravated tone as he narrowed his eyes at Malka, "You've got to be kidding."

"What?" Malka genuinely asked, "What is the matter with that?"

"You decide to wake us both up," Leo stated with a growl, "while you leave Ikkane behind to sleep in the den? How is that fair?" At this point Malka was starting to lose his patients with these two. Mega and Leo were some of his best and here they were complaining about getting up early in the morning for a little workout. Malka wanted to make this enjoyable for his friends, but it seemed as though he would have to use the 'king card' to make them go along with his plan.

"Look." Malka said sternly, dropping the happy attitude he had earlier, "Both of you are some of the best in my guard, so getting up early and doing a little workout with Simba shouldn't be a problem to you. I left Ikkane behind because he's not as experienced as you both, not to mention I needed someone to stay behind to watch the cubs while we are out working with Simba today. So, let me make this clear: this is not a vacation. This is not a wet season retreat. We are here to help restore the Pride Lands. So, either you straiten up and get your acts together or so help me I'll make sure Simba won't be the only one who has a rough morning." Whatever tiredness they felt before, seemed to fade away as Malka sternly addressed them. Both Mega and Leo instantly straightened up and said in unison: "Yes Sire."

"That's better." Malka said approvingly as a sly smile appeared on his face. Though Malka didn't enjoy being stern with people, he had to admit that being king certainly had its perks. Now that his guards were willing and able to help out, the black and blond maned lion was about to turn back to the den to wake Simba up, but as he turned around…

"Um…" a small voice spoke up, getting the adult's attention, "What are you all doing?" Malka and the guards looked back to see none other than Simba's son, Kopa standing at the entrance of the den, looking at them curiously. Though his presence surprised both of the guards, Malka just looked at the cub with an incredulous smile.

"Well, well, well." Malka said with a light chuckle in his tone, "What do we have here?" Kopa watched as the orange furred lion slowly approached him before gazing down upon him with a smirk. Shaking his head, Malka asked: "Isn't it a bit early to be up and about, little prince?"

"Isn't it early for you to be up and about?" Kopa retorted, trying to sound like Malka in the way he spoke.

"Hm…" Malka just stared back in silence as he looked at the cub. This scene seemed so familiar to him. For there was a time when it was his best friend who would be caught running about Pride Rock at this hour of morning. Now here he was, watching the son of his friend doing the exact same thing.

"I have to be up this early…" Malka began as he lowered himself and got eye level with Kopa, "It's the tradition of the king to get up when the sun rises."

"Really?" Kopa asked, feeling a bit better about himself from hearing that, "Mom and Dad always seemed annoyed by me getting up so early."

"Bah!" Malka scoffed upon hearing such a thing, "That's just your parents voicing their aggravation. Back when they were no bigger than you they used to get up before sunrise all the time."

"They did?" Kopa asked, becoming intrigued by what Malka was telling him. The other lionesses in the pride told him how he was very similar to his parents when they were young, but he didn't realize that they also got up early in the morning.

"Well…" Malka looked away as the rethought about what he said, "Maybe not Nala, but definitely Simba. He would always get up just before the sunrise. Heh… it would drive your grandmother and grandfather insane."

"Wow…" Kopa gasped in awe as he listened, "Dad did that just like me? That's so cool!"

"Well… it would be." Malka frowned as his gaze went back towards Simba who was still asleep in the den, "If your father still had his spirit-full youth. Now that lazy excuse for a lion is going to have to make me get him up."

"Why do you want to wake him up?" Kopa asked curiously as he sat on his haunches, "What's going on?"

"Well, you see…" Leo began as he stepped forward and began explaining, "Malka here is going to be teaching your father on how to be a proper king." Though he figured that would explain the situation to the young cub, Kopa's face contorted into one of anger and offence.

"My dad is the best king there is!" the cub snapped, startling Leo. Whether it was Kopa's angry voice or the fact that Leo didn't want his tail to be bitten again, Leo took a few steps back for good measure. Malka and Mega watched Leo's reaction with amusement, but they knew that it wouldn't be right to leave the young prince assuming the wrong thing.

"Easy there, little guy." Mega said as he came and stood next to his companion Leo, "We meant no disrespect. Your father is a very good king."

"For what little he knows…" Malka agreed, "Simba has done a rather decent job so far. Yet there are some things he needs to work on, and we can't give him a royal lesson if he's still asleep."

"A royal lesson?!" Kopa's face brightened when he heard this, "Can I stay for it? Can I? Pleeeeease?" This response took everyone back by surprise, this time even Malka.

"I must still be dreaming." Mega said as he began rubbing his eyes to ensure he was still awake, "Did you just say that you actually _want_ a royal lesson?"

"You bet!" Kopa said excitedly, "The sooner I learn about being king, the sooner I can rule the Pride Lands!" This wasn't what any of them were expecting. This cub… this child… wanted to learn with Simba? Malka struggled with just trying to simply interest his cubs on listening to a royal lesson, yet Kopa seemed eager to want to hear what Malka had to teach. The Stonelander king didn't know whether this cub genuinely wanted to hear it or if he caught wind of what the lesson was about, but either way, he figured there was no harm in letting the youngster tag along. After all, this was probably the best lesson he was going to teach during this entire venture.

"So…" Malka slowly began as he looked down at the eager little prince, "You want to learn how to be a king, do you?" his question was met with an eager nod from Kopa. Of course, Malka knew the boy wouldn't be able to keep up with what he was planning to do with Simba, however the young cub could help in other ways. Giving Kopa a bright smile, Malka decided to see how committed he was to hearing the lesson, so he instructed him: "Alright then, Prince Kopa, since you are so eager, I have a special lesson just for you." Kopa listened closely as Malka continued: "You know where my kids and Ikkane are staying. Right?"

"Sure do." Kopa said eagerly, "They're in the guest den."

"Good." Malka affirmed, "One of the things that a king should do while he has guests is make them feel welcome. So, while my kids are in this new land I would very much appreciate it if you could go show them around the Pride Lands for me. Is that understood?" Kopa gave Malka an eager nod in response, yet while Malka explained his instructions, Leo and Mega looked at both their king and the prince with curiosity. It was completely unheard of, seeing a cub who actually wanted to learn a bunch of boring routines and traditions. Malka and Tama were still struggling to teach their cubs, Tammy and Afua, about their royal duties without either of them falling asleep from boredom. It intrigued them to see one so young be so eager to learn about his future duties.

"Alright then." Malka finished, rising back to his feet, "Go on and wait for them to get up. And remember, make them feel at home. If you can handle this, then I'll let you come along for future lessons with your father. Ok?"

"Yes sir!" Kopa replied. Having said that, the young golden cub bounded down the slopes of Pride Rock towards the guest den. Malka watched as the young cub eagerly began to search around for the den before disappearing out of site behind some boulders. It was then that he noticed his guards looking at him curiously.

"Well that was unexpected." Leo began, now very much awake, "Why don't we just let Simba sleep in and train the kid instead? At least he won't complain about the early mornings."

"Don't be too quick to judge, my friend." Malka said in a once again cheery tone, "Simba used to be just like Kopa; young, eager to be king, trying to grow his mane. But as you can see that all changed as he got older."

"So, if Kopa is like his father, then he might not be so eager to be king when he is older?" Mega asked with a raised brow.

"I never said Simba lost his drive to be king." Malka explained, "If that was the case he wouldn't even be here. No… what I meant was that I believe Kopa has some ways to go before realizing that being a leader is more than just fun and games."

"Makes sense." Leo replied with a shrug, "I remember when I was just a lad I wanted to join the royal guard. Look at me now… _happy_ as can be." Malka smirked when he heard the hint of sarcasm in Leo's voice. Of course, he knew the tan lion was only joking around. He loved his job as being one of his guard. But, just like himself and Simba, he knew that there was more to the job then just everyone showing you respect. It was just part of growing up that both Simba and Kopa had yet to learn.

"Oh dear." Mega began as he looked back out at the horizon where the sun was beginning to rise, "The dawn is drawing near. We need to hurry if we are to meet with Zazu and the elephant leader."

"Then we have little time to lose, gentlemen." Malka said before gesturing over to the den's entrance with his head, "Shall we go wake his majesty?" At first, Leo and Mega were going to oblige to their king's request, yet they stopped and thought about their situation for a moment. A mischievous smile appeared on their faces as the same thought came into their heads. One look and they knew the other was thinking the exact same thing.

"Of course, Sire." Leo began as he and Mega went ahead of Malka and slowly approached the den. Right before they went inside, however, they both stopped and Mega gestured with his paw towards the entrance while telling Malka: "Ladies first."

"Really?" Malka frowned when he realized what his men just did. It was an old joke that all of the cubs played on him during his youth. It wasn't funny back then and it was even less funny now. Reluctantly he walked ahead of them, putting his petty thoughts aside and trying to act mature on the matter, "Very funny. You know we're all adults now. It's impolite to make fun of your king."

"You're our king?" Leo said in mocking surprise as an aggravated Malka passed them, "Last I checked, Sire, your name means: queen." Upon saying that, both lions let out a laugh as they followed Malka inside the den.

Despite all of the noise they were making outside with Kopa, it didn't seem to wake anyone up. That of course was about to change. Malka silently crept through the crowed of sleeping lionesses and headed towards Simba, while the two guards waited near the entrance for them. He found Simba sleeping peacefully next to Nala, laying side by side with a smile on their faces while their heads laid nestled between their paws. Malka stood over the two lions and gave them a look of pity when he realized he was about to disturb the couple's peaceful moment. It almost made him want to wait until later in the morning to do this to his friend… _almost_.

"RISE AND SHINE SLEEPING BEAUTY!" instantly Simba and Nala's eyes shot open and they both jumped to their feet, startled by Malka's sudden roar. Soon the entire den was filled with startled yelps and groans as the entire pride woke up along with their king and queen.

"Malka!" Simba growled as he looked at his good friend in anger, "What in the name of-"

"No time for talk!" Malka exclaimed, cutting Simba off, "Today's the day we start your training. Now first on the list is the savannah sprint."

"Savannah wha-?" before Simba could even finish, Malka shoved him forwards towards the den's exit.

"Move it, Simba!" Malka snapped, "The day waits for no one. Including you. So… Start. Running. Now!" At first Simba staggered a bit as Malka suddenly began pushing him towards the den exit, but eventually he found himself falling into sink with Malka's walking as he was directed outside and accompanied by Leo and Mega. One guard ran on his right side while the other ran at his left. Simba didn't know if he was reacting to the sudden shock of being woken up or by Malka's demanding drill Sargent like tone, but either way, the Lion King found himself jogging down Pride Rock with two lions escorting him while Malka continued chanting: "Hup, 2, 3, 4. Hup, 2, 3, 4."

"Sorry for the sudden wake-up call, Sire." Leo said as he jogged alongside Simba, "Malka's orders."

"Leo…" Simba began as he rigidly turned his stiff, bedridden face towards the lion, "What is going on? What is Malka-"

"Training, sir." Mega stated as he jogged on the other side of Simba, "Malka thought it was appropriate to start your training with some exercise before getting into the lesson. Besides, we want to get the waterhole on time if we are to meet the elephants."

"Elephants?" Simba huffed, trying to understand what was taking place right now as he and Malka's group made their way out into the savannah, "What… does this… have to do with-"

"MALKA!" Simba and the guards looked back at Pride Rock to see an angry Nala and the other lionesses standing right outside the den's entrance. It would seem as though Simba wasn't the only one who was agitated by Malka's sudden wake up call. To say that they looked furious would be a gross understatement. They looked livid enough to take on a rhino.

"Better pick up the pace, men." Malka said, trying to suppress the nervousness in his voice when he saw Nala staring at him in particular, "lionesses run faster when they are angry."

"Trust us, sir," Leo huffed as he increased his running speed, "You don't have to tell us twice!" Simba and the others didn't know whether or not Nala or rest of the pride would do anything to them in particular; it was Malka who woke them all up after all. Still, they certainly didn't want to stick around to find out. As Malka's jog went into a sprint, they followed suit and soon all four lions were making a mad dash through the savannah grasslands with a destination to the waterhole. Though honestly anywhere but Pride Rock seemed like a safe place at the moment.

Back at Pride Rock, Nala and the other lionesses watched as the Simba and Malka's group slowly became little specks in the distance. She considered going after them at first, but Nala decided to not to. After all, they all had to come back eventually. And when they did…

"Morning everyone." Nala and the others turned to see Sarabi casually walking up to the front of the group, acting as if nothing had just happened. When she got next to Nala, the Queen just stared at her in silence and a few of the others followed suit.

"Is there something wrong?" Sarabi asked, noticing everyone's disgruntle features.

"Out of all the kings in Africa, you just _had_ to ask Malka to come help Simba." Nala groaned, which earned a small chuckle from the old lioness.

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Meanwhile, back near the border, Ma Tembo had just awoken from her nap. She looked at her mother, who appeared to still be asleep, and then back out at the Pride Lands. It had certainly gotten brighter since when she fell asleep. How long was she out? Surly Zazu would woke them up by now. Speaking of wich…

"Zazu?" Ma Tembo called out, looking for the hornbill, yet he was nowhere to be seen. "Zazu!" she called out again, louder this time.

"I'm afraid he can't hear you, my dear." Ma Tembo got to her feet and looked back to see who was talking. Upon turning around, she was faced by a lioness and three male lions who were behind her. At first Ma Tembo thought that this was Simba's group, yet upon looking further she saw that these four didn't look like they hailed from the Pride Lands. The lioness in question had a dark brown streak running down the center of her forehead and the lions behind her appeared dirty and in-kept in appearance. They all looked like rogues if nothing else.

"W-Who are you?" Ma Tembo asked, unsure if these were the lions her father was talking about meeting. All three males had sinister looks on their faces while the lioness just looked at both Ma Tembo and her sleeping mother with narrow amber eyes.

"I'm just a humble servant with a message for your father." The lioness replied in a cool and casual voice. Suddenly, the males slowly began to circle Ma Tembo, frightening her and arousing her mother. They laughed, they growled, the large one in the group was even licking his lips as his gaze went towards the sleeping elephant.

"Ma Tembo?" her mother asked as she awoke and saw the ferocious looking male lions circling her and her daughter, "What's going on?"

Then the lioness gave them both a smirk and nodded to Vita, telling him it was time. Then, with a malevolent toothy grin, Zira said to Ma Tembo: "Malka sends his regards."

 **End of Chapter 22**

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 **Holy smokes! What a way to start out the year!**

 **What do you think will happen? What could Scar be planning?**

 **Honestly, there were so many things I wanted to portray with this chapter. I hope it all was put together in a way that made it easy to understand for you all.**

 **As usual, please review and let me know your thoughts and if your new than please follow to stay up to date with chapters. I post every 2 weeks on a Saturday unless I say otherwise.**

 **Well... until next week. This is Rogue Lion signing off**

 **(Salutes the Audience)**

* * *

 **Review Response**

 **The candy man 234:**

 **Glad you can finally catch up. Hope you enjoy what is to come.**

 **BlackLouie:**

 **Thanks. The positive feedback is very much appreciated. If you have any thoughts or questions then feel free to ask.**

 **Toothless 1998 :**

 **Rafiki is telling the story correctly. Mega is just picking up where he left off. Since Kiara and Kovu told him how much they know about Kopa, he's starting right at the point they all stopped at in the story.**

 **SunRise19:**

 **Yeah, I want to keep everyone on their toes while at the same time keeping the content fresh.**

 **Also, it's understandable. Everyone has been getting sick these days. (Except me of course because... well... someone has to write these things.) lol.**

 **And though this is a little late, Merry Christmas to you too and a happy New Year!**

 **XVLegend:**

 **Oh trust me... the feels are just getting started! If you do find anything then please let me know. I'm glad that it all seems good so far.**

 **WolfBLitzk03:**

 **Conflict+Drama= Massive reviews!**

 **Fanfic 101. lol**

 **Incarnate Firefly:**

 **Thanks again. I always love responding to your comments. I like a good review with length telling me your thoughts. It shows you're into it.**

 **Though I do a lot of "Planning" The problem I have now is trying to showcase all of the different things that connect the story. I mean... I know how it's all connected (I'm the writer) It's just putting them in story form and not being overbearing that's the struggle. Aw well. I'll find a way.**

 **Honestly, I'm surprised at how well Makini and Marifa flowed in this story. Though it was something unexpected, it turned out very good.**

 **Of course... if people knew what happened to Kopa and his hyena friend then there would be no reason to continue reading. So yeah... you'll all find out when the time comes. Or will you?  
XD**

 **Jaeson Chandler:**

 **Oh yeah... a whole lot of things would be different.**

 **Jestalnaker94000:**

 **Very true. Yet I wonder how Mega will see the past. Since he is the one telling the story now.**

 **dragonbond007:**

 **Ikkane will have his moments. It's just finding the right chapter to portray his part in the story that is the hard part. If you have any thoughts on it I'd like to know.**

 **Liam Holman:**

 **Well... you'll have to wait for 2 more weeks to see the end result from this chapter. Sorry. But hey, Merry Christmas! and happy 2018 to you too!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey everyone.**

 **Now I know what you are all thinking,**

 **"Whaaaat?! It's not a Saturday! Why is a chapter being posted?"**

 **Well I'm glad you asked.**

 **So you see... This January I've recently moved to a new college in Virginia in order to pursue my degree in Cinematics. Basically I'm working on getting stories off of the pages and onto the big screens!**

 **Hollywood stuff.**

 **Now I'm trying to see if I can continue to do the regular uploading days... but these assignment and papers and possible film shooting days take _A LOT_ of time and energy. So I'm posting this chapter now so that I can focus on these upcoming assignments and get that out of the way.**

 **But I know what you all really want... you want to know what happens to Simba and the elephants, right?**

 **Well so do I.**

 **As usual, I'd like to thank: Jerome092, WriterMonkey0626, Gracekim1, WolfBLitzk03, The candy man 234, SunRise, Redwallover28, JJChandler, Liam Holman, Jestalnaker94000, and all the Guests who have reviewed and kept up to date with postings. Your support is greatly appreciated. **

**Now to the elephants... and the first real good/bad confrontation since chapter 8!** **Woo-hoo!**

 **(Grabs some popcorn)**

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 **Ch. 23 Clash of the Guards**

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"How… *huff*… how much… *huff* farther?"

"Almost there." Malka called back to Simba, who had started to lag behind a bit, "Just had to take you one time around the savannah before we get to Aminifu."

Ever since they left Pride Rock, Simba, Malka, Leo, and Mega had been running nonstop. They had passed Big Springs, ran through Ukuni woods, gone up and down the Tambuto Hills, and now… they were making one last run near the border of the Pride Lands. Though they had been running for a while, Malka and his guards hardly seemed to have broken a sweat. Simba, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up with them. As Malka suspected, Simba was a bit ill equipped for the run; which meant that while he would probably need to start training him physically while at the same time training him to be king.

"Malka!" Simba called out as he began breathing heavily, "Can we… slow down?" Upon hearing the tiredness in Simba's voice, Malka skidded to a halt, making everyone stop.

"What's the matter, Simba?" Malka laughed as he walked back over to the tired lion, "We're almost done."

"W-Where…" Simba huffed as he continued to try and catch his breath, "Where… are we even going?" Simba words caused both Mega and Leo to turn back and look and Malka as well. They were also curious as to where their leader was taking them Supposedly, they were heading to the meeting spot with Aminifu, but… they were nowhere near the waterhole. What could their king possibly be planning?

"Just thought I'd get you familiar with the savannah, since you'll be coming here more often from now on." This earned the Stonelander a confused look. Seeing as no one was following, Malka explained: "You're the king, Simba. This is your kingdom. You have to defend it from any and all outside forces. Seeing as how you don't even have a guard yet, you're going to have to be patrolling the Pride Lands until that time comes."

"What does all of that have to do with going to see Aminifu?" Simba questioned.

"Consider it a taste of what is to come." Malka stated, causing Simba to give him a nervous look, "I personally had to see how well you could keep up. From what I could tell… you've got some ways to go until you're ready to rule the Pride Lands on your own. We're training you in more ways than one, my friend. You have to trust me on that."

Simba personally didn't know whether or not to be grateful or worried by what Malka told him. He knew Malka was here to help him, which he now greatly appreciated, but if going out on early morning runs was now going to be a daily routine… Simba didn't really know what to think of it. He had just gone through a hard time keeping the kingdom together without Zazu being there to help him. Now that the hornbill was back he at least wanted to take things slowly. Still… no one said that being king was easy. If Malka's training would help him then he would see it through. If not for himself, then for his kingdom, for his pride… for his family.

"I trust you know what you're doing, Malka." Said Simba with a small smile, "But… can we at least slow down a bit? I'm not used to this kind of…"

Suddenly, a loud trumpeting noise sounded out in the distance, causing all of them to turn towards the boarder. Instantly, Malka and Simba knew that something was wrong. Aminifu was supposed to meet them by the waterhole, so what why would the elephant be all the way out here… at this time of day? Yet, that wasn't what concerned the two kings. That noise… it didn't sound like the elephant's usual mighty announcement of an arrival, but instead a desperate cry for help.

"I'm afraid you'll _have_ to get used to it." Malka told Simba as he readied himself to once again run, "It looks like there's trouble." Though Simba and Mega shared Malka's concern, this news got Leo pretty excited.

"Finally!" the bulky lion said as he limbered up and prepared for another long sprint, "Some action!" Mega rolled his eyes at his companion. Though Leo was considered a veteran in Malka's guard, he often acted like a cocky teenager. Not to say that his overconfidence wasn't a good thing. It just sometimes got really… annoying.

"Boys, Simba." Malka addressed the group, "It looks like we have ourselves an elephant in distress. Let's go see what's going on."

"Oh yeah!" Leo exclaimed in a pumped voice. Then he declared with a heroic tone in his voice: "Till the Pride Lands end…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What?" Leo looked at the three males. Simba looked confused while they other two looked at him with deadpanned faces. They knew the famous battle cry, and they also knew it wasn't their place to say it. Despite how… childish it sounded, it was something only a select few could say, and Leo _definitely_ wasn't one of them.

"Really?" Malka asked with annoyance, causing Leo to give him a hurt look.

"Oh, come on." Leo pleaded as he watched Malka, Mega, and Simba begin running towards the sound of the distressed elephant, "We're the only guards here! It's not like we'll be offending anyone."

"We're not saying it, Leo." Malka stated firmly, not even looking back at his guard.

"Oh, come on!" Leo whined as he caught up to the group, "Just once?"

"No." Malka growled, hating how childish Leo was acting in what could be an intense situation.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"NO!"

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The deed was done… and the first blow has been struck against the Pride Lands.

Zira and the rest of Scar's guard just sat together, all lined up in a row, looking at their handy work. Before them, the elephant, Ma Tembo laid on the ground, bruised, beaten, battered, but she was still breathing… and crying. Now… they were waiting to see if Zazu would stir from his sleep, or if Simba would come and respond to the elephant's desperate cry for help. They could have left earlier and be done with the whole ordeal, but Scar didn't want them to take any chances. They stayed… to make sure the elephant didn't go anywhere, to make sure she knew _who_ did this; to know _who_ were the ones who attacked her; to know _who_ were the ones who took down two elephants with ease; to know _who_ … were the ones who took away her mother.

The moment Zira gave the command, the others attacked Ma Tembo and her mother. Vita and Brin instantly went after Ma Tembo, slicing and biting at the elephant's heels and backside. She tried to fight back but they were to quick for her to hit. They continued striking her until she could not take it anymore and collapse on the ground in pain. Brang, on the other hand, went for the elderly one who was just waking up from her sleep; but unlike his companions, he wasn't looking to cripple his target. The whole ordeal was over before either elephant could even put up a fight. Now… all Zira could do was watch and wait to see if the reality of this attack would sink in to this elephant's head.

"Mother…" Ma Tembo sobbed as she cradled the old elephant's head in her trunk, trying to encourage her to open her eyes. Yet… no matter what she did… they refused to open, "Please… please wake up. Please don't leave me."

"You're wasting your time." Brang said manically as he licked his lips, showing his pleasure in his actions, "She's gone... unless of course you can find her a new throat." Ma Tembo's moist eyes shot open when she heard the cruel words come from the attacker's lips. With a new fire aroused inside of her, she used her remaining strength to stand to her feet and charge at the lion… no… at the monster who to her mother away!

"You…" Ma Tembo trumpeted as she charged, "You Stonelander filth!" Hearing Ma Tembo's words made Zira smile. It would seem as though they had left an impression on her about the Stonelanders. Normally the sight of an angry elephant charging would put most animals to flight, but not Brang; not anyone in Scar's Guard even flinched. Instead, they all stood their ground and watched the elephant gradually come closer. Zira motioned with her head to go forward, and out of the group, Brang stepped towards the charging elephant. He then stood up on his hind legs and right as Ma Tembo was about to run him through, he gave a mighty swing of his paw and…

 **CRACK!**

Ma Tembo's head jerked to the right and tumbled onto the ground in a heap. Brang had struck Ma Tembo's right tusk with such force that not only did it cause the young elephant to be directed away from him, but it also caused half of the tusk to break off! Proving once again why Scar had selected him to be the _strongest_ of his followers.

"You…" Ma Tembo gasped as she herself was trying to comprehend what had just happened, "You all will pay for this! King Simba will make Malka pay for what you have done here today!" More empty threats, but they were just the threats they wanted to hear.

Looking up at some nearby trees, the group watched as several birds, who had observed all that had happened, began flying in many directions. Zira smiled at the sight. She told the elephant that Malka was the one responsible, and now… she and the rest of the guard were seeing their work pay off. Soon, very soon, Malka's presence would be treated like a disease to these lands. Just like Scar planned.

Now that Zira knew that the elephant held anger in her heart towards the Stone Landers, it was time to rub a bit of salt into the wound.

"Are you angry?" Zira asked the elephant as she gradually began to walk up to her, "Good. Hold onto that anger. It will serve you and your kingdom well, my dear." In defiance, Ma Tembo used her trunk to sweep dust into Zira's face, causing the lioness to roar in pain. Rubbing her eyes, Zira looked back at the wounded elephant with a fiery anger in her expression.

"Maybe you need a bit more… _encouragement_." Zira seethed as she unsheathed her claws and slowly approached Ma Tembo. Upon seeing this, Ma Tembo tried her best to move her large body away from the assailant.

"S-Stay away from me!" the elephant cried, wanting all of this to just end. She couldn't take it anymore. The pain… the heartache… it was just too much! She just wanted it all to stop!

"You asked for this, my dear." Zira said with a malicious grin, "Now hold still so that I can give you something to remember me by." Right as she was about to raise her paw to strike the elephant…

"I got a better idea."

"Who said- Oof!" Zira suddenly felt something slam into her side, knocking her away from Ma Tembo. Zira tried to get back up but right as she lifted her head a paw slammed down on her neck and pinned her to the floor, disorienting her.

"How about you step away from the elephant," Zira heard the new voice say, "and I don't give _you_ something to remember me by." That's when Zira took a moment to see who it was that attacked her. She had expected Simba to come, but this… this wasn't Simba. His orange fur and black and gold maned shined as she looked at the figure with the sun shining behind his head. All the while he looked down at her with a smug, toothy grin on his face. She knew exactly who he was.

" _You_!" Zira seethed.

"What?" Malka said in a cocky tone, "You were expecting maybe Mufasa?"

 **CRASH!**

Suddenly Malka got rammed by another lion, sending him tumbling to the ground. None of them expected Malka to actually show up, but now that he was here, they might as well take care of the problem once and for all. When Malka looked back up at the one who rammed him… he was shocked by who he saw.

"You?!" Malka gasped as the black maned lion who was now standing over him with a toothy grin.

"What?" Vita responded to Malka with a very similar cocky tone, "You were expecting maybe Mufasa?"

When Malka would usually respond with a snarky come back, he just… couldn't. He knew this lion… many years ago he knew him. There was no mistaking that brown fur, that black mane… those deep blood red eyes. He thought he was lost all those years ago, yet here he was alive and well… standing with a known follower of Scar.

" _Vita_ …"

"You're a fool for coming here." Zira stated as she got to her feet and the others rallied behind her, "Did you honestly think you could take on all of us alone?"

"What makes you think he's alone?" Now _that_ voice, Zira recognized.

Looking back, she saw the Lion King himself elevated above them on a nearby boulder with Leo and Mega on both his sides. Zira smirked when she saw them. The elephants were a good workout. But this… this was going to be fun.

"Well, well, well… so the usurper reveals himself at last." Zira stated with a laugh, but Simba was not amused.

"I told you to leave the Pride Lands!" Simba roared when he recognized Zira and the other self proclaimed, "Scar's Guard".

"Oh, we heard you." Vita stated as he looked back at Simba while still holding Malka down, "But we thought about it and we decided it wouldn't hurt to come back and try our luck." This was it. Malka saw this as his chance. While Vita was distracted he positioned his hind legs underneath him and pushed Vita off of him. Malka quickly got back to his feet but right as he did Vita lunged back at him and the two lions began to roll around, growling, biting and swiping at each other.

"Take them down!" Zira roared, seeing as how things were escalating. Brin and Brang charged at Simba, but Leo and Mega both leaped off of the boulder and quickly intercepted them. With Leo holding off Brang and Mega taking on Brin, the way was clear for Simba to run straight at Zira. Simba charged at her, all the while preparing himself mentally for the fight. He was caught off guard the last time he encountered the lioness and he wasn't going to let that happen again. Right as he was about to get into striking range, Zira started to… run?

"H-Hey!" Simba exclaimed as his opponent suddenly made a mad dash to the Out Lands. Simba groaned as he quickly began to pursue after the lioness, enraged by her running off. Part of his anger was for Zira and Scar's Guard for coming back and attacking elephants, but the other reason for his anger was because he had spent nearly the entire morning running and now here he was trying to once again go into a full sprint. As he kept Zira in his sights, all Simba could think about as he breathed heavily was: "This was not how I thought this morning was going to go."

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Meanwhile, Malka and his Stonelanders were engaged with the other members of Scar's Guard. Each of them were holding their own, but neither side appeared to be winning or losing.

"My, my… so slow." Brin chuckled as he dodged Mega as he tried to slash at Brin's face yet again, "Come now, is that the best you can do?" This just frustrated Mega even further. He knew Brin was using his smaller body and superior speed to stay ahead of him while he just kept taunting him to attack and waste his energy, but the problem was… he really wanted to smack that smug smile off of the tan lion's face. As Brin continued to outmaneuver Mega with his speed, the orange maned lion got an idea.

Mega then slashed at the ground with his claws, causing a small cloud of dirt to be thrown into Brin's face, momentarily blinding the lion. While Brin let out a roar of discomfort, Mega charged at the lion and slammed Brin's head into the ground with his paws. As he stood over him, he dug his claws into the side of Brin's head. It wasn't deep enough to kill him, but it let Brin know that if he did anything then he was dead.

"We can do things like this if you like." Mega said smugly as he kept his opponent pinned to the ground.

"Cheater." Brin growled as he tried to get out from under Mega's grip with no success.

Nearby, Brang and Leo were going at it. Both lions had incredible build and muscle so this was like a fight between two buffalo. Neither of them were fast enough to get out of the way of the other, so they just circled one another, matching each other blow for blow.

"You know…" Leo mussed as he slashed Brang in the face, "I must admit, I'm impressed. It's not often I fight a lion who can take down an elephant.

"Really now?" Brang replied as he came back around and headbutted Leo in the muzzle, "It's not every day I meet someone stupid enough to take me on."

"Well then…" Leo smiled as he staggered back and rubbed his sore nose with his paw, "You may be interested to know that up until now… I've been using only a fraction of my strength!" Suddenly, Leo got up on his hind legs and with a mighty roar sent his paw crashing down onto the right side of Leo's face. The blow dazed the large lion but it didn't bring him down to the ground. Seeing that his opponent was still standing after such a blow… made a shiver run down Leo's spine. He put everything he had into that hit and the guy was still on his feet. It also didn't help that Brang now looked back at him with a bruised cheek and a scowl on his face.

"Puh!" Brang suddenly spat out a tooth into the dirt before giving Leo a very similar grin and stating: "Well then… I guess we've both been holding back."

"Oh boy…" Leo gulped as he realized the situation he was in. As Brang approached him he silently prayed: "Great Kings give me strength."

Both Stonelanders and Scar's Guard continued to fight, but none more ferociously then the Stone Lander king and the Bravest in Scar's Guard. When one would fall down he would get back up and strike back with similar ferocity. When one seemed beaten, he found a way to get out of the other's grasp and continue the fight. It was no longer for the selfless duty of protecting Simba that drove Malka. It was no longer for the vendetta of his master that kept Vita vivid and fierce. This fight… this was something personal.

"You should have stayed home in your little kingdom, boy!" Vita growled as he threw Malka off of him, but the blond and black maned lion just got up and lunged for Vita yet again.

"Murderer!" Malka growled as he sliced into Vita's shoulder with his claws, "It's because of you the Pride Lands couldn't have been rescued!"

"That…" Vita groaned from the pain he felt in his shoulder, "Is a gross overstatement, Malka. Scar had legions of hyenas and a sharp military mind to match them. You think that the sole reason he held onto the Pride Lands was because of us, you're sadly mistaken."

"It's more than that!" Malka growled as both he and Vita began to circle each other, looking for an opening to strike, "It's because of you no one ever escaped to go for help! It's because of you our attempt to liberate Sarabi and the Pride Lands failed! It's because of you… my father never came back home!" There was a brief moment of silence as the two just stared at one another.

Finally, Vita gave Malka a toothy grin before admitting: "Well… guilty as charged." Upon hearing this, Malka was about to close in the gap between him and Vita until…

 **WHAM!**

Nearby, with his full strength, Brang suddenly charged and brought his paw up in an uppercut like fashion, nailing Leo in the jaw and sending him flying backwards, straight through the gap between Malka and Vita. Malka's head turned as Leo flew past him and slammed into a nearby tree before limply collapsing onto the ground.

"Leo!" Malka screamed out in terror as he left Vita and ran towards his companion. He lost too many good lions to these brutes, he wasn't about to lose another. Upon getting to him he begged: "Leo! Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"Ugh…" Leo groaned in response as he opened his eyes and looked up at his king. Everything looked blurry and out of focus. As he laid there in the tall grass, feeling his entire head start to swell from the pain, all Leo could mutter out loud was: "Have… I ever told you about my great uncle twice removed?" He then went unconscious. Malka breathed a sigh of relief. Leo was a strong lion. If he could still talk in complete sentences after a blow like that, then he was ok.

While this was taking place, Brang walked up next to Vita as both lions watched Malka check on his companion. Even after all this time, the fool would be concerned about the wellbeing of others. That was his weakness… as well as Simba's. And just like Simba, it would be the end of Malka and his guards.

"Brang." Vita ordered the bulky male, "Kill them."

"With pleasure." Brang chuckled as he slowly approached the two adults. Upon seeing the large tan lion approach, them, Malka stood over Leo in a protective fashion, showing that he was willing to defend his friend to his last breath. But what happened next surprised everyone.

"Get away from them!"

"Argh!" Brang suddenly felt something large jump onto his back and begin biting down on the back of his neck. The large lion roared and scream in pain as he began trying to buck the assailant off. He felt his attacker dig his claws into his backside and as he continued to bite and claw him in his blind spot. Finally, Brang was able to roll on the ground and get whoever was on him off. When the large lion stood to his feet, he was surprised to see it was not Simba, but a young brown lion who had a small mane and had different colored eyes. One was blue and the other one was green.

"Ikkane!" Malka beamed with joy at the sight of his young guard member, "Thank the Kings it's you!" Though he was glad for the rescue, he remembered something. "Wait… where are the cubs? I thought you were watching them?"

"At Pride Rock." Ikkane simply stated as he tried to catch his breath, "Heard the elephant's cry for help. Left the cubs with Sarabi and the others. Figured you guys needed a paw." Malka didn't quite know how to respond to this answer. Though the young lion just ignored his responsibilities to look after the young ones… he did just come in and save their lives. That had to count for something.

"Well…" Malka sighed, deciding not to berate the boy about it, "Good job!"

"Grrr…" Vita bared his teeth when he saw the young lion. With him added into the fight, Vita and his companions were outnumbered. They couldn't really go on fighting without any serious casualties, and Scar needed them all in full health for the plan he had in the future. Now was not the time to kill Malka and his lot… not yet anyway.

Turning to Brang, who was now scratched up pretty badly thanks to Ikkane, he ordered: "Get your brother and pull out. I believe we're done here." Brang honestly wanted to stay and crush this young punk who just scarred his back, but orders were orders. He reluctantly gave Vita a nod, before rushing over to his brother who was currently pinned by Mega. When Mega saw the huge lion charging at him he quickly jumped out of the way before he was run over. Seeing this as their cue to leave, both Brin and Brang made a dash back to the Out Lands. Vita followed suit, but before he joined them he turned back to Malka and declared: "Don't worry, kid. We'll settle this next time when my boss says it's ok to kill you."

Malka saw that Vita was leave and he got up and tried to run after them, but when he saw how far away they were he knew it was pointless to try and keep up with them. Malka's running slowly changed into a walk before stopping completely. He then just looked out in the distance at where Vita and the others ran off. It all happened so fast… he still couldn't believe that traitor was still alive. But if he was back, and if he was working for Zira, then that in itself was trouble for the whole Pride Lands. Still… Malka felt like he had only scratched the surface as to what was really going on.

"Sire! Come here!" Malka turned back to see Mega calling out for him. He turned and ran back towards Mega and Ikkane who was currently standing by Ma Tembo and the body of the other downed elephant.

"It looks like we got wounded elephant. The other one is down." Mega said solemnly, "What should we do Malka?"

"I…" Malka stuttered, not quite sure how to go about this. He had been in fights before… but this… this was something he wasn't expecting. He'd have to talk to Simba about all of this before actually formulating a plan. Yet before he could even say anything…

"Malka?" all eyes turned to Ma Tembo as the elephant just looked at the Stone Lander king with wide eyes. Malka saw the distraught look in the elephant's eyes so he tried to calm her down.

"Yes, that's me." He said calmly, trying to comfort the elephant, "Don't worry, we're doing everything we can to help. Just-"

"MALKAAAA!" Ma Tembo let out an angry trumpet as she used her regained strength to stand up and swing her trunk at the lions.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Malka groaned to himself as he prepared to jump out of the way of the elephant who was about to crush him. Yep… this day just kept getting better.

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'

Meanwhile, Simba continued to pursue after Zira. The lioness had jumped over small ravines, ducked under trees, yet no matter what she did, Simba was still on her tail. She knew she could just turn around and fight him. She would most likely win given his fatigued state. Yet she knew that the pleasure of killing Simba was an honor reserved for Scar. It he could not come back and challenge Simba for the throne then there was no point in him becoming king. No… Zira had to get away, to make it back to the Out Lands without being followed. Luckily for her, the opportunity presented itself.

Near the edge of the Out Lands laid a rather wide river and it was flowing rapidly. There was no sign of a fallen tree or rock structure that could give her a safe way across, but that didn't stop Zira. She had another idea on how to get to the other side. Seeing this as her chance, Zira ran strait towards the rushing rapids and leaped. Simba skidded to a halt as he watched the lioness glide through the air across the river.

Yet… Zira fell short.

With a loud splash, Zira's body disappeared beneath the rushing water. Simba went to the edge and looked down the shore line, watching to see if the lioness would resurface… yet Zira never did.

The Lion King just stood at the water's edge thinking about what had just happened. He wondered if Zira just drowned herself. He doubted it. He had witnessed first hand Zira's strength and he knew that she was more than willing to take him on. At any moment he was prepared for her to turn around and fight him yet she just kept on running. That didn't make any sense. Why would she make him run all the way… out… here?

Simba then gasped and he looked back as he remembered: he left Malka and the others alone to fight the attackers. Zira wasn't trying to fight him, she was leading him away from Malka and the elephants! Though Simba had faith that his friend could take care of himself, the fact that this whole ordeal looked like it was a planned thing worried him. Despite Zira's fate, he had to get back and help his friends. Turning around he once again began making his way back as quickly as possible towards where Malka was fighting.

Meanwhile, a little way upstream, the water continued to flow down the river, undisturbed. Suddenly a paw sprang up, breaking the surface with claws extended, and latched onto the Out Land's side of the river. Zira slowly dragged the rest of her body out of the water before coughing. Having caught her breath, she looked back just in time to see Simba running back towards his friends.

"That's right. Run, Simba." Zira chuckled to herself, "Soon your precious little Pride Lands will be ours." Having said that, she slowly began to walk away, hopefully to meet up with the others back at Scar's hideout.

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'

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute!" Malka exclaimed as he once again avoided being crushed under the elephant's feet, "We just saved your life!"

"You did this!" Ma Tembo screamed, unwilling to listen to what Malka was telling her, "You'll pay for this! All of you!" She charged again, causing Malka, Ikkane and Mega to scatter. Malka dived out of the way and landed on the ground, yet as he looked back he saw Ma Tembo was coming back around to crush him. Right as she raised her trunk in the air yet again…

"Enough!" a voice suddenly bellowed.

Ma Tembo felt something grab her trunk causing her to halt. As she looked back she saw it was none other than her father, Aminifu.

"D… Daddy?" Ma Tembo's eyes softened and she came out of her rogue driven rage and began to think clearly when she realized it was her father who was speaking to her. Aminifu didn't say a word as his daughter leaned her head on to his shoulder and began to cry. He let her. Upon arriving he saw what laid before him, from his mate's body to his daughter attacking Malka and his guardsmen… the same Malka who wanted to speak with him by the waterhole.

"So… You're Malka?" Aminifu questioned which earned a rather hesitant nod from the Stone Lander king. He didn't know what this elephant was thinking, but the last thing he needed right now was another animal wanting to kill him. Though Aminifu just looked at the lion and gave him a sincere nod: "I was at the meeting point where you told me to be. I just thought you were all running late… then… I heard my daughters cry for help…" He then sternly looked at the lion, trying to decide between what his daughter said about him being the one responsible for this, and what Malka said with him and his lions being innocent.

That shaking stance, the scarred look in his eyes; it was not the look of a killer. Aminifu knew almost instantly that Malka wasn't the culprit of this heinous crime. The old elephant had heard about their arrival in the Pride Lands… and their intent to help Simba. This… could not be their doing. They had nothing to gain from this. Yet that did beg the question: if they were not the ones responsible… then who is?

"Malka!" everyone turned to see Simba jogging towards them while breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath.

"Simba!" Malka hailed as he turned towards him, "Thank goodness you're alright. Did you catch that lioness?"

"No…" Simba gasped as he just stood there and tried to catch his breath, "She… jumped into the… river. I… couldn't… keep up." It was then he saw Aminifu and Ma Tembo as both elephants approached the fallen body of their family member and quietly wept over her. Simba's eyes widened as he realized that the elephant wasn't moving. Zira and the others had… they had…

"Oh no…" Simba said in a hushed tone as the pieces in his head clicked into place.

Ma Tembo's mother… Aminifu's mate… was gone.

 **End of Chapter 23**

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 **I have to say, this is an interesting change of pace. All of the other chapters had been relatively chipper. This... this is when we start seeing a bit more serious stuff happen.**

 **I guess that's what you get when Mega starts telling the story. No Rafiki to make it look all nice and happy. lol.**

 **For those of you wondering, "When are we going to see all the _good_ stuff?" all I have to say to you is, "Trust me. Kiara coming onto the scene, and Kopa's fate and Scar's final fate and all of that good old Lion King jazz is on it's way. The story is moving along. It just needs to get through a few chapters to get there that's all.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and if you did please leave a review. All I ask is that you keep it clean. If it's not clean, then I don't keep it up. That's just how it goes.**

 **Until Next time guys, this is Rogue Lion, signing off**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

* * *

 **Review Response:**

 ** _Jerome092:_**

 **Oh come on! The last thing we need is more characters to ship Kion with, Disney! Thanks for making my job a lot harder with piecing together the pieces.**

 **Lol but in all seriousness, thank you for letting me know. I'll look into it and see how to go about it. I handled Makini well so hopefully this will turn out ok to. And if not... I'll just throw it in the rewrite when I redo this story 3 years from now. Lol**

 ** _WriterMonkey0626:_**

 **Glad you're enjoying. All I ask is that you tell me what you like or don't like and keep it clean. Thanks again for the support!**

 ** _WolfBLitzk03:_**

 **Yeah, there's a reason he can be like that. Judging from the reaction he got from Vita, we may be finding that out really soon.**

 ** _The Candy Man 234:_**

 **Don't worry I got another chapter up! Oh wait... now we have to wait till the next chapter to come out to see what happens next. darn.**

 ** _BlackLouie:_**

 **Heh, yeah. and everyone was complaining about Kopa being an early morning guy. lol.**

 ** _SunRise19:_**

 **Did you get why she used his name now? Yes? No? Maybe? Aw well, if not then it will be clear by the next chapter.**

 **Some chapters admittably drag more than others, but there is a method to the madness! I leave hints and tips in each one! If not towards the Lion King/Lion Guard series then to what is to come in upcoming chapters. Always remember that. And don't worry, we'll start to see more relevant stuff as we go along. We just have to get there. That's all.**

 _ **Guest:**_

 **If it wasn't clear how Malka is a king then I'll make it clear now. His mom and dad were the king and queen of his pride. I know it doesn't say that in the comic, but I'm reading in between the lines and making it the case in this story.**

 **As for the progress of this story I agree that some chapters lag a bit.** **I'll give you that.** **But this is going to take ALL DAY to tell in the actual time frame where Kiara and being told this story. So splitting up this story that is being told just doesn't really seem to fit. I know I could probably make it fit, but I have my reasons for wanting to keep it as one big whole story.**

 **But thank you for letting me know your thoughts. I appreciate it.**

 ** _RedWallover28:_**

 **Hey, no worries. I've been busy with college. I'll be sure to get to the upcoming chapters in your story when I get the chance. So I'm in the same boat friend.**

 ** _JJChandler:_**

 **Yeah, who knew? Oh wait... I did. I wrote it. lol.**

 ** _Liam Holman:_ **

**Thanks for letting me know. The problem has been fixed. Let me know if you find anything else out of place.**

 **Now that you know what happened with Ma Tembo... what's going to happen with Malka and the elephants I wonder.**

 ** _Jestalnaker94000:_**

 **Well... 1 out of 2 made it. Heh hehe...**

 **I'm sorry, now's probably not the time to joke about it.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Ok before we get into this chapter I just got one thing to say.**

 **Wow...**

 **Just Wow...**

 **All of the reviews and PM's I've gotten over this two week period have been nothing short of encouraging and positive. So far this story has 250 reviews and 50 people who are following. There are 50 living, breathing human beings who want to know what happens next in this story. It's a lot to take in.**

 **Having said that, I'd like to thank EVERYONE! The guests, the followers, EVERYONE, who has ever left a review for this chapter or any of the past chapters. It's gotten to the point now that there are so many of you guys that I think it'll just add a thousand more words to the story. I'll express all my appreciation for you from now on in the reader response. But guys... I mean this with genuine sincerity.**

 **Thank you.**

 _ **(Also... I'm just letting you all know that from now on I'm only responding to the first 10 reviews on every new chapter. This is the last time I'm responding to every one in one take. There are just so many people to respond to. It's a great thing, but the words sometimes makes the chapters look larger then they actually are. So I'm sorry about that. I do respond with PM's but for any guests reviewing know that I'll only respond to a review if it's one of the first 10 to be posted.)**_

 **If not for you then this story couldn't have been where it is today. Just know that your kind words and reviews have really been a big encourager and help to me, especially during this season of my life in collage.**

 **Now... enough of this emotional stuff. It's time to see what will happen next. This is a chapter that I as well as you guys have waited for a long time. You'll see what I mean once you read it.**

 **So with that being said... let's get into it!**

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 **Ch. 24 The Big News**

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What was meant as a jumpstart for Simba's education had just turned into a bad situation in every way possible.

Due to this unforeseen event, Malka decided to hold off on training and just help Simba with taking care of what needed to be done, before focusing on anything anymore lessons. For the next couple of days, Simba dealt with making arrangements for the upcoming funeral for Aminifu's mate. This time, however, Simba would not be alone in performing his royal duties. Malka, Nala, Zazu, Sarabi, and even Aminifu and Ma Tembo assisted him with whatever he needed in making sure the kingdom remained safe… and the funeral went smoothly. Though this sudden murder caused everyone in the Pride Lands to be racked with grief, everyone now had split views as to who the culprits truly were.

It didn't take long for word the spread like wild fire in the Pride Lands about the incident. Birds who had witnessed the event told everyone what the lioness said about working for Malka, as well as Ma Tembo's retaliations on calling the said attackers Stonelanders. Soon, pretty much every buffalo, bird, antelope, frog, every animal in the savannah heard about the death of an elephant… killed by Malka's pride no less. This led to rumored whispers and dark murmurings about the presence of Malka and the lions who were with him. Thankfully, not everyone believed that they were the ones solely responsible for this crime.

Simba and Aminifu tried to explain to everyone how Malka and his guards fought off the attackers and saved Ma Tembo's life. Even Ma Tembo apologized for her actions and tried to help by letting everyone know she was wrong in her assumption of Malka. Some animals listened to the elephant's words, yet others remained skeptical, believing that this whole ordeal was a ruse to make Malka seem innocent. Whatever the case… it didn't change the terrible reality of this attack: Simba had enemies, and something had to be done.

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After the funeral, a meeting was held to determine the future of the Pride Lands, and how to respond to this attack. Malka and Sarabi suggested that Simba hold a summit to decided what would happen next. It was an old tradition for the Lion King to call what is considered, a Savannah Summit in order to discuss important matters with all of the Pride Land animal leaders. For this summit, the entire royal family came, wanting to help Simba the best they could. Of course, Malka left his guards back at Pride Rock, since most of the animals would feel a bit uncomfortable with a Stonelander presence in their midst. Yet a summit had not been called in several years and many of the original leaders were either gone or old and feeble. It was a gathering of a new generation, and like any new generation, it came with its fair share of problems.

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"This is ridiculous!" The cheetah exclaimed in anger as she slammed her paw down on the ground and looked at the surrounding animals, "We should be out hunting the ones responsible, not waiting around for them to strike again!" This of course caused many to murmur among the group, when one of the animals spoke up.

"Cheetahs…" a sable antelope groaned as he rolled his eyes in response, "Always running head first into situations without thinking." This comment made the cheetah swing back around and bare her teeth at the antelope.

"Shut up, Bupu!" she growled, sticking her face in his, "You antelope always run away at the first sign of trouble! Why King Simba even invited prey to this summit is beyond me!" Bupu let out an angry snort and was about to respond when suddenly a booming voice caught everyone's attention.

"He is here because this matter affects us all, Streak." The cheetah looked up at the one speaking, who was non-other than the elephant leader himself, Aminifu, "This attack was more than just a random murder. It was meant to draw out Simba into the open. If it wasn't for Malka and his guard being present something worse might have happened. If something was to ever happen to Simba, then there is no telling what consequences would follow. The Pride Lands might never even get the chance to fully return to its glorious state if these murders take control." Many of the animals nodded in agreement to the elephant's wise words, yet Streak had a rather stubborn opinion on the matter.

"That's why we should be going after them!" Streak argued as she pointed in the direction of the Out Lands, "Nothing good will come of waiting here and doing nothing! The sooner we take care of the problem the sooner we can wake up in the morning without the fear of needlessly losing our king or anymore animals for that matter. I thought you would understand this better than anyone, Aminifu." Again, many of the animal leaders nodded and murmured in agreement with Streaks reasoning. They didn't like the idea of rogue lions lurking in the shadows, waiting to kill them… or their king for that matter.

"You don't think I want revenge? I would like nothing better than to go strait to the Out Lands and punish those monsters for what they've done, Streak!" Aminifu raised his voice as he narrowed his eyes at the cheetah leader, "But for all we know this could be their plan! How do we know that they are not waiting right now plotting an ambush?!"

"Puh!" Streak scoffed in response, "Only cowards suggest waiting and doing nothing. If that is your answer, Aminifu, then maybe you never really truly loved your mate as you claim you do!" This answer caused an uproar of the entire meeting. Aminifu trumpeted in anger while Streak growled and hissed in response. Other animals began to argue and take sides. Some went with Aminifu's patient tactic while others sided with Streaks more aggressive plan. Yet, out of all the animals, there was only one of them that could make that call, and he was sitting on the sidelines with his family, watching all that was taking place before him.

On a nearby hill, Malka, Simba, and his family looked down and watched as the summit turned into absolute chaos. No one was fighting yet, but they knew if something wasn't done this Savannah Summit would soon become violent.

"Look at them." Malka pointed out to Simba in a hushed voice, directing his gaze to the violent looking group of animals, "Even with a wise elephant among them, all reasoning goes out the door and emotions take over."

"This was a mistake." Simba said hesitantly as he looked at the angry mob of animals, ready to tear into each other, "If they refuse to listen to Aminifu then what can I do?"

"They won't listen to Aminifu because he's not a king." Malka instructed Simba, "Elephants give sound advice. Lions lead. They need guidance Simba. Give them something to look to… to believe in." Simba looked back at his friend who just patted him on the back and gave him an encouraging smile. Still, Simba seemed unsure about all of this.

"They'll listen to you Simba." Nala said as she walked up behind her mate, "If anyone can calm them down it's you." Simba responded with a sigh as Nala nuzzled him for support. He knew everyone believed in him but even after all of this time… he still wasn't quite sure. Nala saw the doubt in her mate's eyes and she knew that Simba was afraid of the outcome. He'd dealt with politics before… but this… this was on the borderline to anarchy.

"Come on." Nala said with a nudge of her head as she stepped ahead of Simba, "I'll go with you. We'll do it together."

"Nala…" Simba sighed, seeing that his mate was trying to help, "You don't have to-"

"YES! I do!" Nala snapped back causing Simba to jolt back a bit, "You may be king, Simba, but you seem to forget I'm your queen. Your kingdom is my kingdom. We're in this together." She then grabbed his muzzle and brought it close to her face before saying sternly: "For better or worse."

Stubborn… brash… always there when he needed her… no wonder they were betrothed.

"Alright…" Simba sighed, knowing that arguing was pointless with her. Though he hated brining Nala into these situations, especially ones that could be dangerous, he knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Sarabi trained her after all. In all honestly, it was himself that still needed training.

"And remember." Malka added, before Simba left, "You're a lion. Act like one." In saying that, Malka shoved Simba forward, causing him to stagger a bit before slowly walking down the hill with Nala towards the group. As he approached, he looked ahead of Nala and saw the mob of animals, all angry and disgruntle, and he began to have doubts about doing this. What if they didn't listen to him? What if a fight broke out? How could he stop that? He didn't know what to do. He was just going off of what Malka and his mother had been teaching him. What if Nala got hurt? Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he should just-

"You can do it, Dad!"

Simba's ears flicked as he looked back towards his Malka. His eyes then caught the sight of his cub and pup. Kopa and Kicheko were both standing next to Malka. Kicheko was wagging his tail while Kopa closed his eyes and gave his father a toothy grin. Whether it was the encouraging sight of his son's believing in him or the fact that he who he was doing this for… Simba felt himself calming down and becoming more collected. If he couldn't believe in himself… he at least could believe in helping the ones he loved. Giving his son a smirk in return, Simba turned back towards the group of animals. He had to speak his mind and try to restore order. If that didn't work then… well… Hakuna Matata.

"That's a terrible idea!"

"You're a traitor to the king!"

"Cheetah filth!"

"Ahem." Simba cleared his throat, yet everyone was still arguing. He tried again: "Attention everyone." Still no one was listening. Seeing that no one was listening, Nala decided to try her luck.

"Please, everyone. Calm down!" she announced, still there was no luck. Simba was becoming frustrated with everyone. He was the king and Nala was their queen. Why was everyone ignoring them at such a time as this? That was when Simba remembered what Malka instructed him.

" _You're a lion. Act like one."_

Taking Malka's words to heart, Simba then realized what he had to do. He braced himself, narrowed his eye, and then…

" **ROOOOOOAAAAAR!"**

Instantly, everyone froze and fell silent at the sound of the mighty roar. Once angry expressions were now replaced with fear and shock as they looked back at the lion in question. Even Nala looked at Simba with surprise. Never had she seen him behave in such a way… never had she seen him act so… authoritative.

"Enough!" Simba declared, causing everyone calm down and get back in their rightful positions. Feeling this newfound sense of prowess and respect within himself, Simba walked through the group as they began to step aside and make way for him and Nala. He then declared: "I did not call you all here to fight amongst each other!" Simba then looked at two main animal leaders who were responsible for this outbreak.

"I understand you're still hurting over what happened," Simba said solemnly to Aminifu all the while keeping a dire tone in his voice, "But in this situation, I need everyone to remain calm so that we can work on a solution. I expected more from you, my friend." The elephant had a look of sadness in his features as he realized that he had let his emotions get the better of him.

"I'm sorry, my king." Aminifu apologized as he bowed his head in respect to Simba.

"And Streak…" Nala stated to the cheetah, who flinched when she was addressed, "You had better learn to watch what you say. These animals want justice just as much as you do. Throwing around insults will only lead to anger and disunity. If you feel as though you can't hold your tongue on such matters, then leave now."

"No!" Streak exclaimed yet when Simba stepped forward and growled at her for how she spoke to Nala, she realized how she sounded. Getting down on her front paws in a humbler position Streak explained calmly to the lions: "I-I mean… no. That is unnecessary. What I said was out of line, your majesties. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Simba warned before turning to the rest of the animals who were attending, "I've called you all here to discuss what actions must be taken and instead you fight amongst each other?" this earned many disheartened looks from the others as the Lion King continued speaking, "I understand that many of you are afraid and worried but I assure you I am doing everything in my power to make sure this matter is dealt with. But I can only move forward as long as you are all willing to help me make a sound decision on the matter." There was silence as the Lion King looked around at the animals surrounding him. None of them responded to which Simba asked once again: "Well? Are you willing?" To which then the entire group of animals erupted with cheers. Zebras stomped their hooves while baboons hooted and hollered and even Aminifu trumpeted with joy at the words of his king.

Meanwhile on the sidelines, Malka watched as Simba and Nala calmed down the animals once more and continued with the summit. It gave him a sense of peace to see Simba and Nala doing so well together and it excited Kopa to see his parents in action.

"Dad's doing great, isn't he?" Kopa asked as he looked up his mother.

"He's certainly making an impression." Malka stated as he watched Simba walk around the group speaking amongst the animals while Nala came up behind him to answer any questions or concerns. They made quite the team, those two. It wasn't often that pairs like them could be found in royalty. Normally couples that were betrothed had many… shortcomings. Simba and Nala, however, seemed to work off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Like a rhino and a tickbird, they helped each other when needed. Like two humps on a camel, they seemed to sway the same way with their intentions. Though Malka found a certain sense of peace by watching the two make progress, Kopa was beginning to lose interest.

After a while of watching Simba and Nala go back and forth constantly with the animals began to take its tole on Kopa. Just standing still, watching all the animals, talking and blah blah blah, really made the young cub… bored. He was hoping for something exciting, not all this stuff.

"Man…" Kopa groaned as his eyelids began to droop, "This is boring." This earned a chuckle from the adult lion. He was very familiar with the attention span of a cub and it wouldn't be long until Kopa would start to doze off to sleep. Though Malka wanted to be supportive of Simba, he really didn't feel like carrying the young prince back to Pride Rock, especially since the sun was beginning to set and… well… he couldn't really find his way in the dark.

"Boring eh?" Malka said as he looked down at the cub with a raised eyebrow. Kopa looked up and nodded in response, to which Malka happily replied: "How about this: we'll all head back to Pride Rock and you'll be able to play with Afua, Tammy, and the others. Plus, you'll be able to tell Sarabi all about what you saw at the Savannah Summit. I'm sure that would make her feel better. What do you say?" Kopa's ears perked up when he heard this and that tired look from before was replaced with a very energetic cub.

"That sounds great!" Kopa replied as he got up and began to run around in play. Kicheko however didn't share Kopa's enthusiasm.

"Gee…" the hyena pup said as he looked up at Malka, "If this is how he acts in summits when he's king then the Pride Lands are done for." This earned a frown from Kopa while Malka just laughed in response. Though the Stonelander hated to admit it, Kicheko had a rather likeable sense of humor about him. He wasn't half bad… for a hyena that is.

"Ok then, you two." Malka chided as he nudged Kopa forward with his muzzle, "Let's get a move on." With Kopa running ahead and Kicheko walked behind him, Malka began to lead the two back towards Pride Rock for the evening. This left Nala and Simba alone to talk with the other animals. He knew that they would do well and quiet honestly, this was a good thing that they were taking care of this. Simba will need Nala in the upcoming days and this Savannah Summit was only the beginning.

Malka had seen conflict before, more so then he would have liked, and he knew a thorough attack when he saw one. The fact that Zira mentioned his name when attacking the elephants instantly set off alerts in Malka's head. Despite how Zira knew he was in the Pride Lands, all that mattered was she knew it and used it to her advantage. Though the elephants know he's innocent, the other animals now don't share their views on the matter. It would be impossible for him or his guardsmen to step ten feet from Pride Rock without all eyes watching them… and not the boarders. A clever tactic for those who wanted to remain unnoticed.

Then there was Vita…

"Hey Malka!" Malka blinked as he heard Kopa's voice calling him. As he looked up he saw the cub and pup racing away from him towards Pride Rock, shouting: "Last one home is a smelly warthog!"

"Don't let Uncle Pumbaa know you said that." Kicheko said as he ran right beside Kopa, both kids laughing as they ran ahead of Malka.

"Is that so?" Malka replied as a playful grin appeared on his face, dismissing his thoughts from before and just living in the moment, "We'll see about that, boys." The grown male then darted forward, chasing after the two rascals, as all three of them began making their way back to Pride Rock.

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It took a while but eventually, Simba and Nala closed the Savannah Summit. Many problems were discussed, and many issues were addressed and taken care of. Plans were being made to find where savage lions were hiding before taking action. And a strategy was being made to help Malka and his fellow Stonelanders walk around the Pride Lands freely without other animals worrying. Now… the day was getting late and the time to end this gathering was coming to a close. Slowly, but gradually, Simba and Nala began giving their farewells to the animal leaders. Soon, what was a gathering of over 50 species was now only a handful of animals, including Simba and Nala.

"Thank you both so much." Aminifu gratefully said as he bowed his head in respect, "If not for you, then the summit would have been lost."

"I guess we're even then." Simba laughed in response.

"Even?" Aminifu questioned, "Why whatever do you mean?"

"You saved our son's presentation." Nala explained to the elephant, "And you helped encourage many herds to come back to the Pride Lands. Without you… no one would have been there to see our son be presented as the new prince."

"Hmm…" the old elephant thought on that for a moment, seeing the irony in that situation, "I suppose I did."

"Father!" Aminifu's ears perked up when he heard the voice of his daughter calling for him. He looked back to see Ma Tembo standing nearby, beckoning for him to come home. She gave him a sad smile and he returned the expression. When he saw her, his eyes instantly went towards her right tusk. Once it was fully grown, now it was broken in half thanks to those filthy beasts that attacked her. It would serve as a reminder for her in the days to come of what happened, but that did not deter Aminifu from trying to comfort his daughter the best he could.

"I…" Aminifu began as he looked back at the king and queen, "believe I must be off." Yet as he turned to leave, Nala stepped forward and placed a paw on the great animal's hind leg, stopping him and causing him to look back at her.

"We're here for you." Nala said in a gentle voice which held compassion, while at the same time sorrow, "If you need anything then all you have to do is ask."

"My dear Nala…" Aminifu said in a quiet, pained voice as he gently stroked her shoulder with his trunk in response, "The fact that you gave my dearly beloved a proper sendoff is thanks enough. For that… I will forever be in your debt." Having said that, the old elephant turned and made his way back to his daughter, as they began their long way back home to Kitilo Valley.

Having saw what took place, Simba came up beside Nala and asked: "Are you ready to go home?" Nala didn't respond. She just sat there and looked at the ground for a moment, with her ears laying flat on her head. Simba new that look. She was sad… probably for Aminifu and Ma Tembo. He could sympathize with that. He himself felt personally responsible in a way for what happened to them. It was difficult… but they had to move forward if they were to punish the culprits responsible.

"Nala…" Simba gently said again, this time coming up beside her and nuzzling her cheek, getting her attention, "Let's go."

"Not yet."

"What?" Simba looked at her, curiously, wondering what she meant. Nala looked up at Simba with a yearning in her teal colored eyes and explained: "Remember when Malka first arrived here, and I said I needed to talk to you about something?"

"Oh!" Simba realized what Nala was referring to and he began mentally berating himself for forgetting about it. Nala saw that serious look on Simba's face and she knew that her mate was already starting to feel remorse about it.

"It's ok. I understand." Nala soothed, "Things happened, and it needed to wait… but… do you think we can talk about it now?" Simba looked back at Nala, then back at Pride Rock. The sun was beginning to set, but no one at Pride Rock would mind if they stayed out for just a little bit longer. What was the harm in that?

"Sure," Simba replied with a slight nod, "At Big Springs, right?"

"You remember." Nala smiled as both she and Simba began to walk towards the watering hole where the hippos' lived. From what Simba could remember, Nala said she had good news. Considering how things were currently going, any news was good news at this point.

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After a long stroll through the Pride Lands, Simba and Nala finally arrived at Big Springs; just in time too. The sun was just starting to set on the horizon, giving the water a rather golden glow about it. As the king and queen walked along the edges of the water towards some rock formations, one of the hippos took notice of their presence.

"Well if it isn't the lions of the hour!" the hippo leader announced as he slightly lifted his body out of the water to address the arriving king and queen, "Simba! Nala! Good to see you both!"

"Hello, Basi." Nala greeted the hippo leader as she and Simba approached the edge of the pond, "It's good to see you as well."

"That was quite a speech you made at the summit earlier." Basi complemented, remembering the event from earlier, "I've no doubt we'll have the true culprits responsible in no time." This earned a rather hesitant look from Simba. Sure, he was confident back during the Savannah Summit, but the topic and the end results weren't really a matter he wanted to talk about. It just wanted to relax for the rest of the evening and talk to Nala. Seeing that Simba didn't really want to talk about the summit, Basi decided to change the subject.

"So…" the old hippo said with a curious look in his eyes, "What brings you both over to this side of the Pride Lands? And at this hour?"

"I simply wish to speak with Nala about some matters." Simba answered, "Nothing you need to worry yourself over, my friend."

"Ahh…" Basi replied understanding the situation. He then humbly bowed his head and said: "In that case, feel free to take as much time as you need."

Simba was about to thank Basi, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed something in the water. Behind Basi, there was something small and round that was barely peeking out from behind the old hippo in the water. The moment Simba laid eyes on the figure it instantly disappeared under the water. This action caught the attention of both Nala and Basi, who were now looking at where the figure disappeared in the water. Though Nala was making the same intrigued face as Simba, Basi just chuckled at the sight.

"Now, now." Basi gently spoke as if he was instructing someone, "It's rude to hide from guest, my boy. Come on out. They don't bite." A few seconds later, Simba and Nala caught the sight of a small head of a hippo calf slowly break the water's surface. The little guy looked up at the king and queen with large, curious blue eyes. Though he didn't fully come out of the water like his dad, showing that he wasn't completely open to talking with strangers.

"Awe…" Nala smiled at the sight of the shy calf, "and who's this?"

"This is my boy I told you about before." Basi said proudly before looking back at the young one and instructed, "Beshte. Come on lad. Say hello." Though his father said that these lions were alright, Beshte looked unsure. Being around others kind of made the young calf… uncomfortable for some reason.

Looking up and seeing how both of the lions were looking at him curiously he decided to just get it over with as soon as possible. So, he squeaked: "Hi!" before quickly submerging back under the water, out of sight. This earned a chuckle from Nala, who thought that was cute, while Basi let out a tired sigh.

"You'll have to forgive, Beshte." Basi explained to Simba and Nala, "He's a bit shy around others. But I'm sure he'll grow out of it eventually."

"I'm… sure he will." Simba said, trying hard to not laugh in front of Basi, "Maybe I can bring Kopa by some time and they can get to know each other."

"Hey!" Basi smiled at the thought, "That might not be such a bad idea." Both fathers laughed for a brief moment as they thought about their sons getting together and becoming friends like they were. Though before the conversation continued further, Nala reminded Simba that they still had to talk about something. Not wanting to take up Simba's time anymore, Basi wished him and Nala a good night before he himself waded back in the middle of the pond… wondering where his boy had hidden himself this time.

Walking away from the hippos, Nala and Simba climbed up a nearby rock formation that laid right next to Big Springs. From there they could see the whole waterhole as well as lands beyond. The hills had a faint golden, orange color radiating off of them thanks to the sunset, and the hippos were all gathering together and turning in for the night.

The scenery was perfect. The timing was perfect. Despite all that was going on… Nala couldn't have picked a more appropriate time to talk to Simba.

"Alright, Nala." Simba said as he sat down next to his mate and gave her a curious look, "What is it you want to talk to me about?" Nala remained silent for a brief moment as her gaze went back to Big Springs. Her eyes then locked on to Basi and his son Beshte and she watched as they swam to the opposite side of the pond so that they could sleep with the rest of the herd.

"Nala?" Simba asked again, seeing that she was still staring out into the distance.

"I heard you." Nala replied with a smile as she still gazed out at the family of hippos, "I was just thinking about some things. That's all."

"What kind of things?" Simba questioned as he got closer to her and tried to follow her gaze to see what she was looking at. Yet, he couldn't figure out that Nala was looking at the calf hippo.

"Just…" Nala began slowly, trying to find the best way to say it, "Pride Rock."

"Pride Rock?" Simba raised an eyebrow at Nala, "What about it?"

"It's just been… spacious lately." Nala said with a shrug.

"Um… I guess." Was Simba's reply. This was strange… even for Nala. She said she wanted to talk about something yet all she mentioned so far was how Pride Rock was… spacious? What was the point in that?

"If you like," Simba began, "We could see about moving Malka up to our den if you feel it's a bit empty. I'm sure the others won't mind if-"

"It's not that, Simba!" Nala growled. How could Simba not catch on to what she was saying? Moving Malka and his group? That's crazy! Especially at a time like this! How come Simba could be so-

"Are… you ok, Nala?" Simba asked, a little scared of how his mate's mood suddenly flared up. This wasn't like her at all. What was going on?

"I…" Nala cleared her throat, catching herself before she went off again, "I'm sorry, Simba. I'm just… trying to process some things. That's all." Nala then let out a sigh as she once again tried to collect her thoughts on the matter. Once she felt like she was ready she tried again: "I was just saying that we've got plenty of room in our side of the den and maybe… well… we could have room for one more?"

"Room for one-?" before Simba could even finish his statement, that's when he noticed Nala looked back. Not at the hippos… but at her midsection. It was then he noticed that there seemed to be a small, round kind of figure to her stomach, more so than usual, which he found quite odd. The only other time he saw Nala in such a way was when Kopa was…

"Wait…" Simba's eyes widened when the pieces in his head clicked together, "Nala! Are you…?" Nala smiled and nodded, overjoyed that Simba finally caught on to what she was trying to say. She then brought up her paw and brushed Simba's cheek with it as she finally got to tell him the news she had waited so long to say.

"Yes… Simba." She smiled at her mate as he looked at her with a face of utter shock, "I'm pregnant."

 **End of Chapter 24**

* * *

 **It finally happened!**

 **Simba's going to be a father... again!**

 **From here on out the story will be moving along at a more gradual pace so as usual let me know what you think and how you feel about it all!**

 **We're at the halfway mark, people. It won't be long now!**

 _(Also before I forget, I also am helping The Candy Man 234 with a short story that he's making called "Kula's Game". He's new to the fanfic writing but he's got some creative stories. If you all could check out his account and look at what he's written and give some helpful reviews and advice then you'd be doing both me and him a favor.)_

 **As always if you enjoyed then please leave a review to let me know what you liked, what you don't like, what you think is going to happen, anything. I love hear (reading) what you guys think.**

 **So until next time guys, this is Rogue Lion, signing off**

 **(Salute's the Reader)**

* * *

 **Review Response:**

 **BadlikeMJackion:**

 ** _Thanks! I find that the songs really give the story that certain Lion King feel._**

 ** _Like I said in the beginning of the whole story: (Disney better not screw up the remake) lol_**

 **Jazzzzy:**

 _ **I'm so glad to hear that. Thanks.**_

 **Guest:**

 _ **Wow... that's very much appreciated. Thank you so much.**_

 **aft critic:**

 _ **Thanks for the 9/10! Those are results I can work with!**_

 ** _Yeah... that chapter with Nala not doing anything... I should have reworded that better. You see she and the others were going to intervine, but then Kopa jumped onto the scene and then when Simba pushed Zira away, Nala was more concerned for Kopa's safety then anything else. So... yeah, that's what happened._**

 ** _Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about her. I have plans for all the characters in the franchise._**

 ** _PLus, don't feel bad. I love these kinds of reviews! If everyone always gave me good reviews then I couldn't be able to improve on anything. I'm not upset or anything. In fact your review made my day, so thank you so much and I'm glad you're enjoying it all so far._**

 **Lionkingfan:**

 _ **I'm glad you caught onto Mega's story tone. You see how a different perspective can change everything. Thanks again.**_

 **Jesswhittaker**

 _ **I know. But they can't all be happy. Then you wouldn't be worried about future events.**_

 _ **Malka's guards are more like body guards then the actual Lion Guard, so they won't have the strongest and Fiercest positions _._ Nala will also probably not be joining them anytime soon since she's already queen. Plus she's... preoccupied at the moment. **_

**Repoman:**

 _ **Firstly yep, we will be getting more action, but the main event is yet to come.**_

 _ **Secondly, That would honestly be awesome! My goal is to beat WTF123's TLK story review and follower record. If not with this story then definetly the next.**_

 _ **Thirdly, hey, if you know how I could get in touch with them let me know. I can save the future of this franchise #makeLionKingGreatagain lol.**_

 **Chikeraking:**

 _ **It does encourage me. Thank you so much.**_

 **dragon-slayer:**

 _ **If you could let me know in the future what errors there are in the spelling then I can fix them. I try to spruce up the stuff that I miss but I have to know about it first. I try to be the best writer and story teller I can be.**_

 _ **You know what... you're not the first guy to ask about Kion. I don't want to say anything, but I'm thinking about doing something for the next chapter if I get asked that question again.**_

 **Scoobydoobiedooo:**

 _ **Yep, a lot of action here.**_

 _ **You know... it depends on the circumstance. Nala's busy helping Simba with... things. While Scar is throwing Zira out into dangerous situations. Will they ever meet on the battlefield? That remains to be seen, but Nala is doing her part in helping in more ways then you know.**_

 **GoKiara:**

 _ **Awe... I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things get better for you. I'm glad my stories brighten your day. As for more Kiara in the story... well... you got your wish.**_

 **WolfBLitzk03:**

 _ **Yes... but not that type of serious**_

 **BlackLouie:**

 _ **Hate to break it to ya... but that was part of Zira's plan. She went into the river and went down stream to lose Simba. Sorry.**_

 _ **:(**_

 **LouisianaFan1:**

 ** _That's the idea. It's coming... but when is the question._**

 **Extinction17:**

 _ **All in good time. It will be reviled all in good time.**_

 **JJChandler:**

 _ **Yes, actually as of now my other stories I've written are tied into the events of this story. Who knows, you might find an easter egg or two pertaining to the future... or the past.**_

 **Monique:**

 ** _Well... you're the first person to realize how I set up my review response. So congratulations. Here's your response._**

 ** _Yes, many of the little details in my story go back to the Lion Guard or other Lion King related stuff. So every name and every action has a purpose. Whether or not it ties into this story or the Lion King story you have to find out for yourself._**

 ** _I'll decided what I'm going to do with that information when the episode comes out. If Kion moves away... well... let's just say that might throw my theory and possible story out of proportion so I hope Kion is still living with his parents when he meets this new pride._**

 ** _I'm glad that you are enjoying this story and I'm glad you reviewed to let me know. Honestly it made my day when I got this from you. Thanks again._**

 **Liam Holman:**

 _ **Ah yes... There seems to be something going on between Vita and Malka. But whatever could it be.**_

 **Gracekim1:**

 _ **The point of this story is to tie up loose ends. I hope Kion is still living with his family when he meets the new pride, if not for my sake then for what I've got planned for Kion.**_

 ** _Also, I'm still deciding whether or not to elaborate on Simba knowing about the Lion Guard. Should I put it in the story or should I just put it in between the lines so that everyone know that he just... knows about them.?_**

 **Jerome092:**

 ** _Rani... why you do this to us? Now Kion has another ship partner. Whyyyyyyy?!_**

 **WriterMonkey0626:**

 ** _Thanks again._**

 **RedWallover28:**

 _ **You never fail to review. Thanks.**_

 **Jestalnaker94000:**

 _ **Sorry but I've got enough character to try and keep track of. Appreciate the offer but I'm good on OCs (and characters in general)**_

 **The Candy man 234:**

 _ **Well... at least she's doing her job as a villain right.**_

 _ **lol.**_

 **dragonbond007:**

 _ **I have plans for Ikkane. Your little lion buddy will play a bigger role than you know in the TLK story.**_

 **EternalSymphony:**

 _ **Yes... it is so sad. But hey! There's a baby on the way! So that's something to be happy about!**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Finally! February 24 is here!**

 **Sorry for the extra week but things got a bit hectic. I should be able to go back on the two week schedule, but if not I'll let you know. So as of now... expect the next chapter to come out two Saturdays from today by American time.**

 **Now a few things I want to quickly comment on before I get started. Starting with reviews.**

 **THIS STORY HAS PAST THE 300 REVIEW MARK! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

 **Now if only the followers and favorites can step up their game. Lol, jk.**

 **Next, I'm so happy yet at the same time so sad when it comes to all you people out there that review. I want to respond to all of you yet I know that I have to keep to my 10 count review rule! So here is the new rule. The 10 count review will apply ONLY to GUESTS. Anyone with an account who reviews will get a PM from me. So starting now that's what's going to happen. So if you are a guest, and you are one of the top 10 to post a review first, You'll get a response!**

 **Also, don't be shy about writing long reviews. I love those! Those are what keep me going! Plus, depending on if you have a good comment or question, I might actually take the time to address what you have to say.**

 **(Having said that, I'm thinking along the same lines of _Lionguarddefend's_ comment. Appreciate the thoughtfulness.)**

 **And on an unrelated note I changed my avatar picture. So there's that. lol.**

 **Now... where can the story go from here I wonder...**

 **'**

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 **'**

 **Ch. 25 What's Next?**

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* * *

 **'**

 **(Back to the Present)**

 **'**

"Hehehe…"

"What?" Simba asked, when Mega stopped telling the story and started chuckling.

"That night… when you came back to Pride Rock and told everyone." Mega explained as he tried to contain his laughter, "Your son wouldn't stop talking to everyone about how he was going to be a big brother. He was so excited, I don't think anyone got any sleep last night." Simba gave Mega a questioning look while Nala just smiled as she thought back to that night she told him that she was pregnant.

"He was rather excited." Nala added.

"Believe me, I know how he felt." Simba said with a chuckle, "All the while I was dealing with trying to find Zira at the time while hosting a funeral, keeping together a summit, all the while I was still being taught by Malka."

"It sounds like you had your paws full back then." Kiara said to her father, earning Simba's attention, "I… never realized..."

"I know." Simba said gently, "Back then I was trying to be strong for Kopa and the others, but when I heard that you were on the way… I just… I couldn't…" Simba tried to speak his mind but he struggled. He wanted to tell Kiara how he felt. He wanted to talk about all that had taken place back then. Yet despite his longing, Simba just couldn't… not without breaking down.

"Easy, Simba. Easy." Mega said as he looked at the young lioness with sympathy, "Once you were on the way, kid, your dad here made it his priority to keep everyone safe and learn what he could about being king. Yet... during that time things changed." This statement earned a rather puzzled look from Kiara.

"What changed?" Kiara asked.

"Pretty much everything." Mega said with a shrug, "The cubs were given a curfew; Malka, myself and the others from the Stone Lands were assigned lionesses for security partners in order to let the animals of the Pride Lands know that we were trustworthy; sightings of Scar's little group were coming all over the Pride Lands; and while all of this was happening, Simba was being trained by Malka each day in royal lessons."

"Phew…" Kovu whistled as he finished up his portion of impala, "That sounds rough. I should know. Zira practically dragged me through the mud back in the Out Lands. Simba sounds like he got buried alive with all of this going on." Everyone looked back at the lounging male for a moment, especially Mega. He was hanging out with Simba and his family so Mega figured that he was an alright guy, but hearing that Kovu was with Zira and the Outlanders? That came as a shock to the orange maned lion.

"I… I'm sorry…" Mega said to Kovu, "Who are you again?"

"Kovu." Was Kovu's reply, "Kiara's boyfriend... ex-Outlander... Zira's son? Ring any bells?" This answer eared a rather surprised look from Mega. This didn't surprise Kovu though so he answered: "It's a… long story."

"How long was I gone?" Mega said out loud, but more so to himself, "Last I checked, Zira's kid was Nuka and I don't remember her hooking up with Scar during that time."

"I'm not Scar's." Kovu affirmed, "But Zira was my-"

"Well, well…" another voice suddenly spoke up, earning everyone's attention, "You couldn't wait a few minutes for ol' Rafiki now could you? Had to go ahead and continue with de story without us." everyone looked back to see none other than Rafiki exiting the tree with both of his apprentices following close behind him.

"Rafiki?" Mega asked when he saw the old mandrill. Rafiki gave the old lion a smile, but his apprentices were a little upset.

"I can't believe you would start the story without us!" Makini exclaimed in frustration, "and with a stranger no less!" The group of lions simply gave the mandrills apologetic looks. They knew that none of them wanted to miss anything. Mega's sudden arrival just really excited everyone so much that they all kind of went along with him telling the story.

"Now, now, Makini." Rafiki calmed his apprentice down with a chuckle "We didn't miss much. If I heard right, Mega here was just about to go into what happened when Nala was pregnant with Kiara. No?"

"Heh…" Mega breathed a laugh as he smirked at Rafiki, "Still as sharp as ever. But yeah… more or less."

"Wait… Mega?" Marifa recognized the name, "You were one of the lions with Malka when he came to the Pride Lands?"

"It would seem as though my reputation precedes me." The tan lion replied to the curious young monkey, "And if I'm not mistaken… you two must be family of Rafiki? Apprentices perhaps?" both Makini and Marifa nodded their heads in response, both of them being a little taken back by how they were now speaking with someone from the actual story! This was turning out to be a very eventful day; more so then they originally thought it would be.

"So, Rafiki." Mega turned his attention back towards the elder, "I'm sorry if I imposed, but I believe it was you who was originally telling this tale?"

"Quite right," replied Rafiki with a smile, "I think it would be best if I take over from here, good sir." Having said that, Rafiki sat down in the tall grass with his legs crossed and addressed the group.

"After de attack on de elephants…" Rafiki explained, "Simba and Malka realized dat it was something more than just a simple killing… it was a warning of what was to come. They realized dat Zira and de others were sure to attack again, not knowing that Scar was de one orchestrating all of dis unpleasantry. So… in response he sheltered de cubs and kept your mother under constant watch."

"In other words," Nala added as she narrowed her eyes at Simba, "He started to be the overprotective lion you know today." This earned a rather sheepish grin from Simba. He had been told that he took things to the… extreme sometimes. But back then was a different story all together.

"Ah, don't be to hard on the guy. He wasn't the only concerned father in the Pride Lands, you know." Mega stated as he walked up beside Simba and backed his friend up, "Malka and I were just as worried after Zira's attack. He increased Simba's training while making sure all the cubs had a curfew at Pride Rock before nightfall. No one got in or out without any of us knowing about it. All the while, I was patrolling the borders with the others on the lookout for any more attacks."

"Dat wasn't all dat happened." Rafiki said in a rather sly tone in his voice as his eyes locked onto Mega's, "If my memory serves be correctly, I believe you and dat Ikkane fellow were also assigned partners while you helped patrol de Pride Lands. Dey became a bit more then partners though, no?" Mega's eyes widened when he realized what Rafiki was talking about.

"H-Hey now!" Mega defended himself, "They were only with us for protective purposes! No one was to be near the borders alone during that time. That's all they were there for. Nothing else happened!" Rafiki as well as everyone else gave Mega a questioning look. The younger ones in the group didn't know what Rafiki was implying, but Simba and Nala knew. They had their suspicions back then, but now they knew that what was going on between Malka's guards and some certain lionesses were more than just a mutual understanding.

"If you say so," Rafiki replied to the lion with a shrug, deciding not to press the matter further, "Anyway, knowing dat there was danger lurking out beyond de borders of de Pride Lands, Simba and Malka made preparations for the next couple of weeks to do training, patrolling, and preparing everyone for finding out where Zira and de others were. Little did they know dat Scar knew dat they would all go searching for him. It was all part of his plan for taking over de Pride Lands, yet no one, not even his own Guard, knew what he had planned for Simba… or for the rest of the Pride Lands."

'

* * *

 **'**

 **(Back to the Story)**

"Come on… come on…" Brin growled as he paced ferociously back and for outside of his master's den, "What is taking them so long?"

"Oh, for the love of… would you stop your pacing, Brin?" Vita said calmly as he and the large lion Brang were lounging off to the side, "Your constant walking is giving me a headache."

"I can't help it!" the short lion growled, "I want to get back out there."

"Don't we all?" Vita said with a roll of his eyes, "Zira and Scar will give us our next assignment soon. Just don't get your tail in a knot."

Not long after the attack, Zira and the others met back in the Out Lands to talk to Scar and plan their next move… but that was days ago. The dark king had not left the den and had since confined Zira to the quarters as well. No one knew what was going on, but they could hear them conversing with each other so something was happening. The two tan lions were eager for more action. Taking down a grown elephant really gave their raised their adrenaline levels. It was that kind of rush they had missed ever since Scar first asked them to come work for him. Vita, however, was more interested in a certain black and blond maned lion who was now in the Pride Lands, which did not go unnoticed by his fellow cohorts.

"Tell me, Vita." Brang addressed the black maned lion, "What business do you have with the lions we fought back in the Pride Lands?" This earned a rather intrigued look from the Bravest of Scar's guard.

"Are you implying something, Brang?" Vita questioned, to which the large lion simply replied: "You seemed… different during the fight. It was as if there was more to it than just fulfilling our master's will. Did that lion wrong you in some manner?" Vita remained silent for a moment as his gaze went out towards the borders of the Out Lands towards Pride Rock… where Malka was now staying with Simba. Though he had spent several years serving under Scar and his fellow Guardsmen, he never really told anyone why. They all had their reasons for accepting Scar's invitation to be a part of his new Lion Guard, but everyone really just kept to themselves. No one really bothered to ask about each other's motives. That is… until now.

"It's a long and rather boring tale." Vita replied as he rested his head between his paws, "I actually know Malka. I used to be a part of his pride back when his father was king."

"Really now?" Upon hearing this, Brin stopped his pacing and began to listen to what Vita had to say, "Please, Vita. Do tell." Vita narrowed his red eyes at his companions and thought about it for a moment. Though they were annoying… and he despised working with them at times, he thought it wouldn't hurt to pass the time with his brief tale of his past.

"Very well then." Vita said with a wave of his paw as he then began to explain: "Long ago back when Malka's father was king, I used to work for him in the Stone Lands as one of his guards. Though… the guards of the Stone Land pride were honestly more like body guards rather than actual guards. There were several of us… way more than five… I was getting nowhere while living there. That's when I received an invitation from Scar to work for him."

"And you just joined the Mighty One?" Brin questioned, "Just like that?"

"Of course not!" Vita snapped back, "Before I could join him I needed to prove myself loyal to his cause. Scar knew that Sarabi had been in contact with the Stonelanders at the time and he knew that they were massing in order to liberate the Pride Lands. I was promised a comfortable position in Scar's kingdom in return for any information I gave on Malka's father and the Stone Lands." This answer earned a rather surprised look from both Bring and Brang. They had been a part of the counterattack that stopped the Stonelanders from taking the Pride Lands from Scar. They knew Vita was just as heartless and ruthless as Zira when he wanted to be, but to betray one's pride… that was extreme.

"You turned… on your king?" Brang asked, making sure he understood what he was told. Vita merely nodded his head before turning his back on the brothers, showing that he was bored of this conversation. "Why?"

"Simple." Vita stated, "To get what I want. I joined Scar to gain respect for my work and to have some means of authority in a pride. You both should know this better than anyone. The only reason you two joined Scar was to have a crack at killing any hyenas that stepped out of line." This answer caused both brothers to growl at Vita menacingly.

"Careful, Vita." Brin warned, "You are treading on soft ground."

"It's obvious, really." Vita said as he looked back and narrowed his eyes at the brothers, not showing any hint of fear in his features as he continued, "Don't think I haven't noticed how you both tend to scout out the Elephant Graveyard from time to time. You're just begging to have Scar break ties with the hyenas, aren't you? Something about ending their lives give you pleasure. I saw it back when he used to rule over the Pride Lands. Every time one tried to run away or get out of line, it was you two who were always there to put them down. At least I have vision with what I want. You are both nothing more than wild clubs that have no insight for the future! You're both content with living your lives out as tools!"

"Enough!"

Before a fight could break out, the sound of Zira's commanding voice brought the impatient males to attention. They looked up to see both her and Scar approaching them from out of the darkness of the cave, and neither one of them looked pleased.

"We have work to do." Zira snarled as she glared at the males, "You can go about tearing into each other after Simba's been dealt with. For now, stay in line… or I'll make you!" upon hearing this, they all nodded vigorously. Ever since she started taking lessons under Scar, Zira had become more demanding, more abrasive, more… fierce in a sense.

"Well done." Scar whispered to Zira, which made the lioness's eyes widen and her heart flutter. He had been pleased with Zira's progress, these last couple of weeks. Now… he believed she was ready to lead his guard to the next part of the plan.

"Now." Scar commanded the group, "We have much work that needs to be done." In saying that, Zira drew two circles on the ground with her claws as if to try and create a rough map of where they were. Upon completion, Scar placed a small rock in the other circle and pointed out to everyone: "This here is Pride Rock and over here is us in the Out Lands. Despite the animals in the Pride Lands now keeping a close eye on Simba and the Stonelanders who are with him, we don't want anyone bringing any attention to us here in the Out Lands. We are deep enough in the Out Lands to where we can remain undetected, but we still need Simba's attention to be drawn away from our base of operations. We need to divert their gaze elsewhere."

"How do you plan on doing that?" questioned Vita.

"Simple." Zira stated with confidence as she joined Scar and pointed to different points on the map, "We will attack from different points on the Pride Land's borders. Instead of the Out Lands we will retreat into places such as the Back Lands or the Wildebeest Gorge. As we are spotted in different areas, we will draw their gaze away from the Out Lands and focus more on patrolling the East, West, and Southern territories of the Pride Lands." The plan sounded doable. Brin and Brang nodded their heads in agreement, feeling satisfied with this plan of attack. Vita, on the other hand, was beginning to become restless.

"What is the point of all of this?" he blurted out, causing Scar and the others to look at the disgruntle lion with disdain… and annoyance, "I mean… that's all we've been doing ever since Simba learned about us. Hit and run attacks, biting at his heals, befriending Outlanders; we've done nothing over this course of time! We have the hyenas under our control! Why don't we just use them to-"

"Vita!" Scar exclaimed, causing the lion to flinch when he heard this master's voice. Scar then approached him and stood by his Bravest follower. He knew Vita had a tendency to question orders from time to time, but to question Zira and his plans… it was unacceptable.

"Do you think I do all of this for fun?" Scar questioned.

"N-N-No…" Vita stuttered, feeling the dark lion's hot breath on the back of his neck.

"Do you think that I merely want to annoy my nephew?"

"Of course, not… It's just that…"

"I WANT HIM DEAD!" Scar suddenly exclaimed in Vita's ear, causing the lion to collapse on to the floor from utter terror in Scar's voice. "I want everything he loves to burn! One way or another I will bury everything he holds dear!" seeing that he got his point across, Scar stomped on over to the map and told his Guard in a frustrated voice: "Tell me. What does a parent do when there is something that endangers his family?" There was no response from the males, who were now terrified by the frustration and anger in their leader's tone. Zira, however, acted as though this behavior was normal.

"Why…" she confidently answered Scar, "They put their children far away from the danger."

"Exactly!" Scar praised Zira as he lifted his paw and placed it next to a bone on the obscure map in the ground, "With you all attacking the other borders, which border do we leave alone?" upon hearing this, Brin hesitantly answered: "The Northern border?"

"Yes…" Scar stated as he got a wild look in his eye, "Knowing my nephew, he'll do whatever he can to keep the cubs out of harm's way. It will become obvious to all that the borders to the north will not be suffering from our attacks and it will be there that Simba will lead the pride to hunt and the cubs to play while he monitors the other parts of the Pride Lands. When they get comfortable… sooner or later Simba's son will become a bit too curious for his own good, and when that happens…"

"We kill him!" Brang exclaimed, clicking the pieces together in his head… or so he thought.

"No, you fool!" Scar growled as he slapped the large lion across the face, "We capture him. We take him with us. Then… we use him to get Simba where we want him… then… we kill him and Simba." Everyone sat around Scar and pondered on what he just said. Even Vita was impressed with Scar's logic. Luring the cubs near the north, right next to the Graveyard would be the perfect opportunity for either one of them or even the hyenas to snag a cub. As long as they all focused Simba's attention to the other borders, this plan should work. Still… there was just one slight problem with this plan that Vita noticed.

"It's truly an ambitious plan, Sire." Vita stated in a way that told Scar that there was going to be a 'but' somewhere in this statement. Sure enough, he was right: "But… once we accomplish this, what will become of the rest of the pride? Nala… Sarabi… Malka… they will not take kindly to the death of their so-called king of the Pride Lands."

"Oh, don't worry about them. That's what the hyenas are for." Scar said with a sadistic smile as he looked on the rock on the map that represented Pride Rock, "I have no desire to rule over those who don't acknowledge me as their king. The moment Simba is out of the way… everyone at Pride Rock will be next." Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Scar in shock. If they were hearing him right, Scar was not only planning on wiping out Simba, but every single lion who dwelled in Pride Rock! That was… insane! Still, not everyone who heard Scar's words found it to be serious. Vita found the idea of wiping everyone out to be very… hilarious.

"If that's the case," Vita said with a laugh, "What's the point of taking over the Pride Lands if you won't even have a pride to rule over?" He was expecting a growl or some sort of rebuke from Scar for such a statement, yet all Vita got was as simple smile from the dark lion.

"I'm so glad you asked that, Vita." Scar stated as he sat up and addressed the black maned lion: "You see… there is a reason you are all here. My Fiercest, Bravest, Strongest, and Fastest… you are meant to distract Simba. My Keenest of Sight… however… is looking for the key to my new kingdom; a kingdom without Simba."

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'

While all of this was going on in the Out Lands, in a faraway land, a gray lion was walking through a field of tall grass. He was exhausted, weary, but most of all… he was concerned. Tizamo didn't know if he would ever be able to fulfill Scar's wishes. Ever since his leader sent him out to find his supposed heir, he had had no such luck. He had scoured several kingdoms that lied beyond the Pride Lands. There were so many… yet none of them had the cub that he was looking for. A royal… with fur as dark as the dirt and with eyes that sparkle like emeralds. One who was born in royalty yet he will not know it. One who was conceived by a queen but he will never know her. It was like trying to find a queen in a bee hive.

"Great Kings…" he thought to himself as he pressed on, "I don't have time for all of this. I've seen so many rulers and yet so very few cubs. Scar… Zira… everyone… they're counting on me. I need to find this cub. If I don't get back soon… they'll all be dead! How much longer must I travel through these-"

"Shut up!" the gray lion's ears twitched when he heard someone suddenly shout. He ducked down for cover in the long grass, but that was when he realized that there was a strange noise in the distance, towards where he heard the stranger's voice. It sounding like… crying? Not mourning or sorrowful crying, but a simple kind of crying. It was the type that would be made by… infants.

Now intrigued and curious, Tizamo silently crawled through the grass towards the sound of the wails. That wasn't all that could be heard. While there was crying, there was also shouting. It was the voice he heard earlier, and it sounded masculine. Most likely it belonged to a male, but what who he was and why he what he was shouting at remained to be seen.

"Why won't you shut up?" Tizamo heard the voice again as the crying began to grow louder, "Seriously. My own cub didn't cry this much. What is your deal?"

That's when Tizamo saw them.

In a small clearing, Tizamo could make out two large shapes. One was a male lion with a black mane and reddish like fur. Kind of similar to Scar's. The other appeared to be a lioness. She seemed to be lying on the ground and it didn't look like she was moving. Tizamo peered through the grass and noted that this unconscious lioness had a chestnut brown pelt and her muzzle was just a lighter shade of brown. But what really caught the gray lion's attention was who was snuggled up by her stomach. Nuzzled up next to the lioness were two, infant cubs who were wailing and crying at the top of their lungs.

"Cubs…" Tizamo whispered to himself. They couldn't have been over a few hours old. They were both so tiny… so defenseless. Upon further inspection, one had a light tan pelt, but the other… his fur resembled that of the lioness: brown… dark brown.

" _Fur as dark as the dirt…"_

"You know what?" the lion suddenly snapped, causing Tizamo to snap out of his train of thought, "Forget it! There's no real order to how this gets done anyway!" the world around Tizamo began to slow down as his eyes went back towards the lion. His stance and posture changed as he unsheathed his claws, all the while looking straight down at the two crying cubs. Just by noticing these little details, Tizamo realized that whoever this lion was… his intent for these cubs were hostile. Though he had orders from Scar to not get involved with anyone and stay focus on the mission… Tizamo deducted that this was now part of the mission.

Right as the lion raised his paw to strike, the gray lion sprung from this hiding spot and with a mighty roar lunged at him. The male flinched when he heard the roar and looked back right as Tizamo's claws made contact with the side of his left shoulder. In just a matter of seconds the male lion was lying on the ground with Tizamo standing on him, having one paw on his shoulder and the other on the side of the lion's neck.

"Try to get up," Tizamo warned in an intimidating voice, "and I'll snap your neck." Though the lion remained where he was, Tizamo could feel his chest violently rising and falling under his feet as well as his heartbeat start to quicken. Whatever this lion wanted to do, he was clearly to scared to do anything.

"P-Please!" the lion begged as he looked up at Tizamo with fear in his eyes, "W-Who are you? What are you? Some kind of demon?" No doubt Tizamo figured the lion was referring to his rather unique fur color. It certainly made him stand out from most lions, but never had anyone asked him that question about himself.

"I'm someone you don't want to be against." Tizamo said in a low growl as he narrowed his eyes at the lion, "So I suggest you answer my questions if you want to live to see another sunrise."

"S-S-Sure!" the lion stuttered, afraid for his life, "W-W-W-What d-d-do you want?"

"You can start by answering this simple question." Tizamo stated as he looked back over at the two little infants who had since stopped crying and snuggled up besides the unconscious lioness for warmth and to get away from the scary lions, "Who do these cubs belong to?"

 **End of Chapter 5**

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 **Well... first Kiara is on the way and now this. What's next? Gorilla's descending from mountains?**

...

 **Maybe...**

 **...**

 **Before I forget, I do want to let you know about the stories in my Bio. The TLK4 and LG2 stories are tied in with the Rise of Simba. The others are just other works I wouldn't mind doing sometime if I wanted to branch off from Lion King sometime. Your insight on which story I should do next has been very insightful, but I'm most likely going to do a poll later just to finalize which one I should do next.**

 **I'll let you all know when that happens.**

 **As always, thank you so much for all your support! If you want to keep up with the exact time the story comes out then follow and favorite this story. And if you like what you're reading or have any suggestions or thoughts on the story and the content then please leave review.**

 **So just to recap, first 10 guests to review will get a response in the next chapter, and any people with accounts will get a PM from me, expressing my gratitude.**

 **Thanks again and until next time guys, this is Rogue Lion Signing off**

 **(Salutes the Reader)**

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 **Review Response:**

 _ **Jerome092:**_

 **Well it had to happen sooner or later. Either that or they were secretly adopted. lol.**

 **Yeah... shame about Disney, but that's why I'm here. I bring the unseen moments to life.**

 **For some reason I looked over the last chapter over a dozen times yet I haven't seen any errors to correct. If you do see something in the future then let me know what so that I'll know exactly what to fix. I go back and check regularly and if someone points something out I correct it as soon as possible. But details help pinpoint where to look.**

 **Thanks again for complement. It's greatly appreciated. :)**

 _ **Jazzzzy:**_

 **Yep, Simba is a master at polotics. After all, he's always be 'lion'. LOL! Sorry I couldn't resist.**

 **I'm actually surprised at how well that scene came out with Nala and Simba. I honestly wasn't trying to go for romance but that's just what happened.**

 **Thank you again. I wish the best for you as well.**

 _ **Gokiara:**_

 **No... I don't think either Scar or Zira will like that Simba has another addition. But will they learn about it soon or later or not at all until the end? Who know.**

 _ **A fft critic:**_

 **Scar is kind of in the center of the Out Lands. Since the Out Lands in depicted in the Lion Guard as a barren land filled with caverns and unmappable pathways, I figured it wouldn't be to farfetched to have Scar and the others well hidden from Simba and the Pride Lands. Plus... there are vultures, jackals, and other preditors that live there. No one really goes there unless they want to be someone's free lunch.**

 **Always fan of critics. Looking forward from hearing from you again.**

 _ **BadlikeMJackson:**_

 **I was very subtle with it. Back in Ch. 13 I hinted at it. Plus Nala hinted in Ch. 20 that she wanted to talk about it. Surprisingly only a few of you caught on to that.**

 **Got to watch them details. Lol.**

 _ **Monique:**_

 **Yeah, more little cubs are coming into the picture. Hope Ch. 25 answered your other question. lol**

 _ **Scoobydoobiedooo :**_

 **Scar never really called together a summit. I guess Sarabi could have technically... but I've mentioned before (Chapter 12) on how some animals tried to stand up to Scar and were driven out. So It's not so much they didn't resist Scar, but most of them took a more pacifist rout. Because by the end of the day... no one wants to get eaten by a hyena.**

 _ **Lionkingfan:**_

 **Hmmm... will it just be Kiara? I wonder... She is the oldest but Kion is similar in height. I wonder...**

 _ **Kirakayne:**_

 **Well I'm sorry about your friend, but I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story so far. I try my best to make it all vivid and make it feel like a movie so mission accomplished. Wouldn't you say?**

 _ **Chikeraking:**_

 **Wow... that was a well spent lunch break you must have had. I used to do the same thing when I was at work with another author, Incarnate Firefly, and his story. It's nice being on the receiving end in this case. Glad you're enjoying.**

 **When it comes to Scar... you mean "if" he finds out. :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**Well... Where do I start?**

 **I guess by saying how sorry I am for the delayed chapter. I really do try to post when I say I'll post. For chapter 25 I had a ton of college projects do, which forced me to move the upload day. For this chapter the site messed up and then when I could finally log on I made the mistake of dragging the Word file in order to save it. Somehow, when that happened, the computer froze and restarted. When I went back to the document I couldn't access it, so in response I had to redo the entire chapter since I didn't save it on a flash drive like I usually do and I didn't really know how to fix the Word document file... (I'm not very good with software).**

 **But all that aside, it doesn't change the fact that I said I was going to post on a certain day and it didn't happen. And for that I sincerely apologize. If I say something I need to follow through with it. No excuses. So here I am... at 3:30 in the morning... getting this redone chapter (that should have been up Saturday) out for you guys to read and enjoy.**

 **I also want to clarify on two other subjects. First off, I don't plan on dropping this story any time soon. I started it and I'm going to keep writing until I finish it or I'm dead. (Preferably the first option). If I didn't care about this story, then I wouldn't be writing these announcements to keep you all posted on what's going on. I don't like leaving you all in the dark.**

 **Secondly, if you are all wondering about "What's been going on with the reviews?" I've been moderating them through my phone. Reason being, some knucklehead decided to spam 20 reviews of vile, detailed scenes that will not be described. Also another guest recently tried posting reviews that attack both me as well as you guys as the audience. So in good curtesy to not scaring any young viewers with depressing and scaring images (and to keep a full fledged drama war from breaking out) I've begun to moderate the reviews personally. Just to let you know if your review doesn't pop up right away, it's because I haven't approved it yet. So as long as you stick to the guidelines, you should be fine.**

 **Now... I think it's time we finally get to see what chapter 26 holds. Don't you?**

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 **Ch. 26 For the One's You Love**

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Time went on in the Pride Lands. Since the incident, sightings of the violent lions began to grow. They would attempt to attack animals but would never really pursue after them to kill them. They would simply appear, cause a panic, then right as Simba or Malka or anyone from Pride Rock showed up, the attacker would vanish. It began to concern everyone greatly, especially Simba and Malka.

Ever since the first attack on the elephants they had taken extra precautions. Zazu had organized flocks of birds to scout and perform reconnaissance on the Out Lands, yet now it would seem that the attacks were coming from other parts of the Pride Lands, and it was never in a group. At each attack, there would be reports of only 1 lion at the scene and not the complete 4 like the last attack. It greatly concerned Simba due to the pandemonium it was causing in the Pride Lands, but Malka and his companions saw this in a different light. These were clear guerilla hit and run tactics, and they showed indication of a distraction. From what and for what purpose, remained unknown, but it was clear that they as a whole were at a disadvantage.

The Pride Lands were a vast territory that spanned for miles into neighboring territories that fell under its jurisdiction. One could easily go into another territory and back into the Pride Lands at any given point in time. If Zira and her group split up, and took on different locations, then it would be nearly impossible to pinpoint their true base of operations and discover their true plot. Though their intentions were unknown, it was obvious that no one was the venture out into the Pride Lands unsupervised. That included Simba, Nala, Malka, his guards, and _especially_ the cubs.

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"Man… I'm sooooooo bored!" groaned Kopa.

"Tell me about it." Afua added as he laid in the grass to the prince, "There is literally **NOTHING** fun to do!"

As the months passed on, Kopa and Kicheko had grown rather close with the group of cubs that Malka brought with him. Afua and Tammy really connected with them since they knew what it was like to be raised by a father who was also a king. Tammy was more of the brains of the group while Afua had a bit of an arrogant personality. There was this one-time Afua and Beba challenged Kopa to a race and… well… let's just say it didn't work out to well for Kopa. But they were still all very good friends.

The other cubs were cool to. Babu and Boga always seemed to do exactly what the other did or think pretty much the same as the other. It was their so called 'twin power'… whatever that meant. Timira was the eldest and she was very soft-spoken and rather quiet most of the time. Sure she joined them all and really had fun with playing around but she was practically an adult in cub's clothing. She would always nag about something. 'Kopa don't roughhouse with Afua. Kicheko, watch what you say. Guys, we should do something less violent.' Though she meant well… it could get kind of annoying at times. Still, she meant well, and no one really argued with her about anything since she would always threaten to tell the parents if they ever did do something.

Today all the cubs were lounging at Hakuna Matata Falls, but none of them could really find something to do. It was then that their caretakers noticed that their cub friends were not their usually energetic selves.

"Hey what's with all the sour faces?" Timon asked as he and Pumbaa walked in on the group of depressed cubs that were all lying around the bank of their pond, "You all get grounded or something?"

"No…" Kopa groaned as he rolled over onto his back and looked up at his uncles, "But there is nothing fun we can do?'

"Nothing fun?" Timon crossed his arms, "I bet you we can solve that. There's plenty of stuff to do in the Pride Lands."

"Alright then." Stated Afua as he and the other cubs drew their attention to the meerkat, "Give us your best shot."

"Very well then." Pumbaa stated with a nod before suggestion: "Why not go and hang out by big Springs and ride the hippos?"

"The hippos aren't there." The cream cub Boga replied, "They moved so that Uncle Simba and Uncle Malka could welcome the crocodiles back to the Pride Lands."

"Oh…" Pumbaa realized. It was probably a good idea not to swim in croc infested waters.

"What about hunting lessons with Nala?" Timon suggested, "That's always fun right?"

"Uncle Simba doesn't want Auntie Nala going anywhere since she became pregnant." Boga's brother Babu corrected, "Besides… hunting is girl stuff." Babu's answer got a mix of responses. The boys nodded and smiled in agreement while all the girls simply groaned and rolled their eyes. Timon and Pumbaa had mixed thoughts about the matter since they never really heard of a carnivore who didn't really like hunting. Plus, at this point they really just wanted to find something for them to do.

"What about hide and seek?" Timon suggested. In response all the cubs groaned: "Again?" which frustrated the meerkat. At this point, he began listing everything that came off the top of his head.

"Tree climbing?"

"Lame."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Not after l was made to kiss Pumbaa."

"Giraffe neck sliding?"

"Meh…"

"Go see a Buzzard Boys concert?"

"They left for migration."

"Race with Beba and the cheetahs?"

"ABSOLUTLY NOT!" Everyone looked back at Kopa who realized how loud he said that. To which the prince sheepishly smiled and restated: "I mean… we've done that already."

"Oh geeze…" Timon sighed as he rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Never had he come across a group of cubs that literally sucked all the joy out of having a good time. Whoever heard of a kid who couldn't find something fun to do?

"Come on guys, you gotta work with us here!" Timon exclaimed in frustration, "I can't be the only guy thinking of something fun to do! Kopa, Kicheko, give your uncle Timon a hand here, will ya?" suddenly, Timon paused as he began looking around at the group. That's when he noticed that a certain grey pup was missing.

"Hey... wait a cotton-picking minute!" Timon said as he held his hand over his eyes as if to scour the surroundings for something, or in this case, someone, "Where's Kicheko anyway?" This question got everyone's attention. That hyena was there with them just a few minutes ago. He said he had to go and do something and he never came back. Everyone started looking around to see if the pup was nearby. That is… everyone but Kopa.

The young prince gritted his teeth when he saw everyone starting to look around for his buddy. He told Kicheko that it wasn't the best time to sneak off to the Graveyard and hang out with those hyena pups they met before, but Kicheko wouldn't listen. He'd try to go at night, but the following day he was always exhausted and that would make people curious as to why he wasn't getting enough sleep at night. Now… if Kopa didn't think of something soon, his brother's cover would be blown, and then they'd both be in trouble!

"Kopa?" Kopa jerked and laid his ears back in surprise when Pumbaa addressed him, "Do you know where he is?"

"Uhh…" Kopa stretched the back of his head as he tried to think of something to say. He never really lied before, so this wasn't exactly something easy. Well… he had told a fib or two in his life, but they were close to be considered misunderstandings rather than flat out false statements.

"Well?" Timon eyed Kopa as he crossed his arms, "We're waiting?"

"Um… well… I, uh…" Kopa stuttered as everyone suddenly looked at him questioningly. This didn't look good. He had to tell them something. But what?

'

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'

Meanwhile, near the Elephant Graveyard, Kicheko was enjoying some quality time with Jasiri and Madoa. Though… the Graveyard was still dreary looking even during the day, it at least had some perks to it, like several good hiding places.

"Hey…" Madoa whispered to Jasiri as they both ran and hid inside a large elephant skull, "there is no way he'll find us here."

"I know, right?" Jasiri replied with a giggle. Both of them crouched low to the ground and waited in silence. This was their favorite place to hide. Whenever Janja wanted to play hide and seek with them they'd always hide here and he would never find them. Even with Cheezi and Chungu helping him, though to be fair, those fur brains couldn't find their own tails blindfolded.

They waited for a couple of minutes till Jasiri heard something outside. It sounded like a rock or pebble falling down the side of the skull.

"What was that?" Madoa asked as she flattened her ears and backed up a bit to be more hidden.

"Not sure." Jasiri whispered back, "But don't worry. There is no way he'll-"

"Surprise!" both pups screamed as they saw Kicheko pop his head out from above the eye socket of the elephant. When they realized it was only Kicheko, they all started laughing out of good fun.

"Wow! How did you find us so quickly!" Madoa asked as she and Jasiri got to their feet.

"Well…" Kicheko smirked as he led them out of the mouth of the skull, "I probably wouldn't have found you. That is… if you didn't leave pawprints when you ran off." All of them began to laugh at the comment as they continued walking through the graveyard to find something else to do. They had enjoyed many occasions such as this. Playing tag, hide and seek, geyser roulette, bone rush, Kicheko didn't realize how much there was to do in this place.

"So… what game should we play now?" Jasiri asked as she walked side by side her friends.

"Actually…" Kicheko responded as he looked back at them, "I was wondering if you guys can tell me about some stuff."

"Really?" Madoa asked, "Like what?"

"Well…" Kicheko slowly began, trying to think of the best way to phrase this, "I was kind of curious about you two."

"Us?" the sisters replied in unison.

"Yeah," Kicheko replied, "I mean, I know you live here with your parents, but other than that I don't really know that much. What is it like to live here? Are there other hyenas I could meet? What do your parents do all day?" Jasiri and Madoa just looked at Kicheko in silence for a moment. No one had really asked them about themselves before. Of course, the sisters had never met someone outside of their pack. All of Shenzi's hyenas knew them and in return they knew all of the pack. This question was a first for the siblings.

"Well, where do we start?" Jasiri looked at Madoa, hoping her sister could help her out with this. She wasn't good with these types of things.

"I guess at the beginning." Madoa shrugged. She then looked back at Kicheko and explained, "Our pack lives in the more deeper part of the Elephant Graveyard, as you already know. We ourselves live with our parents, our uncle, and our brother Janja."

"Oh right," Kicheko remembered, "Jasiri mentioned something about having a brother. Speaking of which, why isn't he with us?"

"For good reasons." Madoa huffed. She was about to say more, but Jasiri cut her off.

"Hey! I didn't invite you to come out here originally either, you know."

"But I came to make sure _you_ stayed out of trouble." Madoa shot back at Jasiri, "Besides, Janja doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's always sucking up to our mother and he's rude to everyone else. To put it lightly, he's a real jerk."

As the group continued walking, they jumped over a low elephant tusk as they made their way deeper into the graveyard.

"So, Janja has some issues to work out." Kicheko listened as he followed behind the sisters, "Noted." This was all very interesting to Kicheko. Who knew Jasiri came from such a big family. Yet, if there were so many hyenas, then why were they all living in this dump? There was clearly not enough food to go around, just old bones and scraps.

"Mind if I ask you both something?" Jasiri and Madoa looked back as Kicheko spoke his mind, "Why do you all live here in this graveyard? Why doesn't your king move you all to another-?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kicheko froze as both girls stopped in their tracks and started busting out laughing, which was odd since he didn't remember saying anything funny.

"Y-You're joking. Right?" Madoa wheezed.

"No." Kicheko shook his head, as he spoke with no hint of humor in his voice, "I'm actually not." This answer caused both sisters to immediately stop laughing and look at Kicheko with concerned expressions. He was actually being serious about this.

"Hyenas don't have kings like lions." Jasiri stated as if it were common knowledge, "We're ruled by matriarchs; females who step in and take over for the pack to follow. Everyone knows that."

"Oh…" Kicheko laid his ears back, feeling a bit foolish for asking something that was clearly so simple, "I'm sorry… I didn't know." This caused both sisters to look at him with worried looks. How could he not know something so simple? Every hyena knows this.

"Kicheko…" Madoa slowly began as she walked up to the suddenly depressed pup, "Don't your parents have a matriarch ruling over them?"

 _His parents?_

Kicheko honestly didn't know if he even had parents. In fact… all he knew was that some hyenas had dropped him off at Simba's doorstep one day and left. He had never thought about whether or not he had a family or a pack out there waiting for him to come home. Simba and Nala were always the ones he would think back to when he thought about his family. Never did he imagine being part of a hyena community.

"To be honest…" Kicheko sighed as he looked at the ground and opened up to Madoa, "I don't know my parents. Kopa and his family took me in when I was very little. I barely even remember it. Quite honestly… you two are actually the first hyenas I've ever met in my life." If Madoa and Jasiri weren't shocked before, they were now. That was completely unheard of to them. What kind of monster leaves a pup alone with a group of wild cats?

Everything began to make sense now to Jasiri. She thought it was weird the way Kicheko acted when she first met him and Kopa. Though they had played together often, she never really stopped and asked him about why he would come here to see her. Now she knew why. He had never actually met another hyena before in his life. No wonder he was so petrified when he first saw her. It must have been quite the shock. She couldn't imagen not ever knowing her parents or her sister or brother. The mere thought of it was just… awful to her.

"Kicheko…" Jasiri said in a quiet yet compassionate tone, "I'm so sorry." Upon hearing the soft tone in Jasiri's voice, Kicheko could feel his eyes start to mist for a moment as the concept truly sunk in.

"You mean that you don't have your mum or dad around?" Madoa's question was met with small nod from the now depressed pup. "That's so sad."

"I-It's fine." Kicheko said as he wiped the tears from his eyes and forced himself not to choke up a sob, "I don't really think about it much. Honest. Kopa's parents are my mom and dad now." Madoa knew better than to question Kicheko about his home at this point. Besides what else was there to know? According to Jasiri, he was an orphaned pup who was taken in by a family of servals. It's not like he was raised by lions or anything. Still, one thing was clear to Madoa: Kicheko was longing for some interaction from other hyenas in his life.

"Well," the young pup yipped with a happy tune, "If you need a family, I'm sure ours could take you in." Kicheko's ears perked up when he heard this. Did Madoa just offer him a place in her family; in her pack?

"Really?" he asked, making sure he heard right.

"Uh-huh." Madoa nodded her head, "Mom and Dad wouldn't mind letting you join us. I'm sure of it." It was a very generous offer, and for a moment, Kicheko honestly thought of accepting it. Yet, he knew that he already had a family. Simba and Nala were honestly the nicest animals the young pup new in the entire world and he probably wouldn't even trade them for anyone else. Besides that, the Pride Lands was 10 times nicer than this place, of course he wouldn't tell Madoa or Jasiri that. Despite the pup being somewhat content by what he already had, it didn't stop Kicheko from being moved by Madoa's offer.

"That sounds great." Kicheko smiled gratefully, "but I don't mind living with Kopa and his family. They're actually really nice." Madoa drooped her ears and gave Kicheko a disappointed look. She really enjoyed hanging out with him, and even though at first, she thought he was kind of odd, she and Jasiri actually gotten to enjoy Kicheko's company.

"Are you sure?" Madoa tried to press the matter, "I mean… servals are nice and all, but…"

"Trust me, I'm fine." Kicheko smiled, "It's actually really nice where I live. They're helpful, the Pride Lands are beautiful, the-" Madoa's eyes widened when she heard this.

"Wait… what?!" Madoa exclaimed in shock, "The Pride Lands?! I thought you live in a place called the Pack Lands?" Kicheko realilzed that he let his words slip up. Only Jasiri and himself knew he was from the Pride Lands. They made the Pack Lands up to… well… they didn't really know what Madoa would do if she learned where he was truly from.

"Oh, well… uh… I am." Kicheko tried to save himself while Jasiri gritted her teeth and watched with anxiousness, "You see… the, uh 'Pack Lands' are close to the Pride Lands. I have to cross the Pride Lands in order to get here."

"Oh!" Madoa responded out of shock, "You really have to go through the Pride Lands to get to here?" Jasiri breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, her sister didn't question the matter. There was no telling how long Kicheko could keep up this little lie of theirs, but she knew that one way or another someone would find out. She'd have to think of something up in the future with him, but for now she just had to go along with it.

"Heh… yep." Kicheko laughed halfheartedly, trying hard to act casual, "It's really-"

"How do you get past the lions?" Madoa questioned, "It's dangerous for hyenas to be in the Pride Lands! Mother always told us that lion's favorite food are hyena pups. How do you-"

"Pfffffffffft!" This time it was Kicheko's turn to laugh at such a statement, "Haaaaaaaaahahahaahaa!" The male pup began clutching his stomach as he rolled onto his back and began letting out spurts of laughter, leaving both Madoa and even Jasiri confused by what they were witnessing.

"Listen, sister," Kicheko stated as be began to calm down, "I've been around the Pride Lands several times, and never in all my life have I heard of such a thing!"

"Really?" Madoa asked, "Lions don't eat hyenas?"

"Great Kings, no!" Kicheko exclaimed once again in amusement, "From what I've seen, they actually prefer zebra most of the time." Yet this statement once again earned some rather confused looks from the hyena sisters.

"Great… Kings?" Jasiri repeated as she raised an eyebrow at Kicheko, "Who are they?" Upon hearing this, Kicheko realized that just like him, these two didn't know anything about lions, the Pride Lands, or even the Circle of Life. Just like him, they must have spent their entire lives without knowing what was beyond where they lived.

Knowing this, the pup smiled at the two curious girls and asked: "Would you like me to tell you about them?" this earned a rather eager nod from both of the hyenas. Jasiri had been curios about the Pride Lands since she could first remember. To know that there was more to them then what they were told was incredible. Madoa, even though she was against Jasiri going near the border, was also intrigued by what lied beyond the Graveyard. If Kicheko saw what things were like out there, then he could tell them all about it. She was admittedly excited by this.

So, without wasting anymore time, Kicheko sat down and began to tell them about everything Simba and Nala had told him. From the Pride Lands, to the Great Kings, to just lions in general.

The best part… Jasiri and Madoa loved every second of it.

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Eventually, the time came for Kicheko to start heading back to Pride Rock. Though he really didn't want to leave, he knew that if he didn't then everyone back home would be looking for him. After some heartfelt goodbyes, Kicheko bounded out of the graveyard and back onto Pride Land soil, where he began his long trek back home.

As he walked through the long grass, he thought about all that had happened with Jasiri and Madoa. They had taught him some stuff about hyenas and their culture, and in return, he told them a bit about the Pride Lands. He still didn't enjoy lying to Madoa about where he was from. He wanted to be honest with her, but he knew that it would most likely cause trouble. According to Jasiri, Madoa would always tell their parents if something didn't seem right and knowing that Kicheko was from a lion infested Pride Lands was probably something worth telling if she ever found out. Still, it felt good to sit down and talk about his life and what he had learned to far. It felt natural to him.

" _Why do I have to hide from Madoa_?" Kicheko asked himself, to which he answered in his head: _"Oh, wait. That's right. You're from the Pride Lands, genius! If Madoa ever found out I live with lions then she'll never want to speak to me again! Then I won't be able to go back and play with her, or Jas-"_

" **Kicheko!** "

The pup's ears perked up and he felt his body tense when the voice boomed his name. Looking up, he saw none other than Simba, along with Malka, Sarabi, and Nala standing at the base of Pride Rock looking at him sternly. Kopa was there as well, and from his appearance, he had a rather ashamed look on his face.

"H-Hey everyone…" Kicheko said as he tried to put on a smile for the adults, but they all just looked back at him with rather stern faces. Seeing that they didn't appear to be happy, Kicheko began to shake out of fear. Why were they all look so upset?

"Come here." Simba ordered sternly, causing Kicheko to flinch. He rarely heard Simba speak in such a tone except when he was truly upset. Not knowing what else to do, Kicheko slowly walked towards the group and looked up at them before nervously asking: "Yes?"

"You can drop the act, kid." Malka replied coldly, "We all know where you've been. Kopa told us everything."

Kicheko's eyes widened as he heard what Malka said. They… knew?! He looked back at Kopa, only to see the golden prince's head bowed, his ears laid back, and his eyes looking up at his brother with sadness. That could only mean that… no… he couldn't have. Kicheko refused to believe it. Kopa would never do that, he couldn't. Refusing to believe that Kopa ratted him out, he tried to play it off.

"Um… What did he tell you?" Kicheko asked as he refused to make eye contact with the Malka, which really annoyed the adult. He stepped towards to hyena to push the matter but was stopped when Nala held out her paw on his chest and stopped him.

"Kicheko, please." Nala pleaded with the pup, "Tell us the truth." The pregnant lioness slowly approached the young one before bending down as low as she could to look at him on his level. Kicheko looked at Nala's eyes with worry, while Nala just returned the same expression. There were some things that only a mother could coax out of a child, and everyone knew this. Nala had grown close to Kicheko ever since he first licked her. She understood how he thought and how he and Kopa would always share secrets. She just couldn't imagine why their son would keep this from them.

There was a moment of silence as both Finally she stated: "Kopa told us that you snuck away from Timon and Pumaa and went to see Aminifu and the elephants without telling anyone and without an escort."

Kicheko looked at Nala with a rather shocked expression. That's what this was all about? Of course, he realized why they would all be upset, since they all agreed that no one should go walking around without an escort ever since the attacks started. But he was sure that they were talking about his trips to the Elephant Graveyard. He once again looked back at Kopa who still looked rather depressed. Yet when Kopa made eye contact with him, he did something that put Kicheko's mind at ease.

For a brief moment, Kopa gave his brother a wink… and a small smile.

"Is this true?" Nala asked again in a kind and gentle tone. Kicheko forced himself to look Nala in the eyes. He didn't like the idea of lying to his parents, but he knew that if he ever wanted to see Jasiri again then this was the only way to do it.

"Y-Yeah…" Kicheko answered, trying to sound ashamed, "I went to see the elephants." Upon hearing this, Nala let out a rather disappointed sigh. She had hoped both her sons would be smarter than this.

"Kicheko…" Simba spoke up in a heavy tone, "What were you thinking? You know that no one is allowed outside of Pride Rock without an escort." Kicheko didn't answer. He simply bowed his head, feeling dejected and a bit sad. Though he lied about where he truly was, he still left without anyone going with him, which not only put him in danger, but made everyone back home worried. He wasn't thinking about that when he snuck off to see the hyena sisters. He just… wanted to have fun with some of his own kind.

"I'm sorry…" Kicheko sniffed. Knowing that it wasn't even worth badgering the young one about his actions, Simba decided to make his next words short and quick.

"We'll discuss the punishment for both of you later." He stated before motioned back to the den with his head, "Right now, I want you both inside with the others until further notice." Simba's orders were met with both his sons saying: "Yes sir…" before trudging along after him.

As Simba and Nala led their sons up the slope of Pride Rock, Kicheko looked back at Kopa and returned a happy wink. Despite them both being in trouble, they still had each other's back. That at least would never change.

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'

When Simba and the young ones got out of site, the only ones left at the bottom were Sarabi, and Malka. They were both disappointed in the actions of the young ones, but Malka was the most upset.

"So." He groaned out loud. This earned rather disheartening look from the old lioness, "That's it?"

"Whatever are you talking about?" Sarabi questioned.

"Kicheko." Malka said as he narrowed his eyes at the den where Simba led them, "He and Kopa planed this little excursion and neither of you are worried about it?"

"Cubs, will be cubs." Sarabi said with a sigh, "They still have a lot to learn."

"I understand that cubs will be cubs, and I really do like those kids," Malka replied, "But Kicheko is a hyena. We have to consider that perhaps… well… something else was going on."

"Are you calling my grandson a liar?" Sarabi growled causing Malka to step back a bit. Sometimes he forgot that the temperament of a lioness tended to change dramatically whenever the subject of a cub, or in this case cub and pup, were involved. That was a problem for him since he tended to speak his mind most of the time. Knowing that any comment about her kids would just be throwing more wood in a raging fire, he decided to just drop the matter.

"No…" Malka said as he shook his head, "Forget I said anything about it."

Silence fell as both lions remained out in the open. Sarabi looking up at where her family had just left, while Malka, kept his eyes fixed on the old lioness. It didn't take Sarabi long to notice that Malka was staring at her… intently.

"You have something else to say?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Malka said in a serious tone, "I've been helping Simba out these past couple of weeks, and every time he seems rather happy. He's not worried, or sad, or showing any hints of sorrow in his features."

"I fail to see the reason for being upset." Sarabi stated, "He's becoming the king he always dreamed of being. He has another cub on the way and with your help he'll soon be able to flush out Zira and those trouble makers. Everything is as it should be." Upon saying that, she quickly got up and slowly began to walk away from Malka. Malka didn't run after her. He didn't have to. All he had to do was ask her a simple questioned.

"You haven't told him yet… have you?"

Sarabi stopped in her tracks, yet she did not turn to face Malka. She knew what he was implying. She talked to him about that night he arrived in the Pride Lands. This was not something she wanted to go over with him again.

"I haven't." She simply said, "And I don't want you telling him either."

"You know I can't do that, Sarabi." Sarabi turned back to Malka in both shock and aggravation. She opened her mouth to argue, but Malka cut her off: "You brought me here to restore the Pride Lands by training Simba, a task that _you_ could easily do."

"Malka…" Sarabi sighed, yet Malka continued as he began to approach her.

"That night you told me that you would tell him, yet you still haven't. I know about it, you know about it, even Nala and the lionesses know about this, Sarabi! Sooner or later he will realize what is really going on and he'll be heartbroken! You really want to do that to Simba? To your own son?"

Sarabi was silent as Malka's words rang in her mind. She knew it would soon happen, whether it would be in the next few days, or the next few weeks, she knew that one day Simba would have to learn a-

"If you refuse to tell him," Malka concluded, "Then I will. I know you're trying to protect the ones you love by keeping them in the dark, but in the end, it will only hurt them if they don't know what is really happening with you." Upon saying that, Malka began to stomp off towards Pride Rock, but as he took his first step up the rocky slopes…

"Wait!" Malka stopped when Sarabi called his name. Looking back, he saw that she was looking down at the ground, an unreadable expression on her face. He could see by her stance that she knew what was about to happen… what she would soon do. As Sarabi looked back up at Malka, he could see how old the retired queen had become. The once strong and versatile lioness was now feeling her years catch up with her. It pained him to see her in such a state, as he knew it pained her to know the truth of it all.

Letting out a brief sigh, she said in a heavy voice: "Tomorrow… tomorrow will be the day I tell him, Malka."

 **End of Chapter 26**

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 **And so ends another chapter!**

 **It's nice to see Kicheko getting along with Jasiri and Madoa. (Kind of shows you where they get their knowledge of the Circle of Life)**

 **I bet you all thought that Kicheko's cover was going to get blown, didn't you? Well that ain't going to happen! Well... not yet anyway.**

 **Oh, Sarabi... what could be the secret that you've been hiding from your son? What have you kept from him that would make you call Malka to teach him his royal duties? I guess that's just for next time. (Bring some headphones and play some 'He Lives in You' for ch. 27.) lol.**

 **Now, due to recent I don't know how firm you all are going to be with upload days. I know I apologized, but knowing audiences... it wouldn't surprise me if you are a bit skeptical at this point. I wouldn't blame you. So... because of this, I will TRY (I repeat) TRY... to get Ch. 27 out on the 25th. Why not 24th on a Saturday you ask? Because I got a class for action scene training that I will not miss! That's why.**

 **So, let's see if I can get this done for the 25th in a timely fashion and then go from their. Ok?**

 **Also, just to repeat myself, I'm also working on another TLK project with two other authors called "In a Perfect World" details on how posts and all of that will go will be in the first chapter. So if you want to catch when it comes out, the follow me, or just browse my account until it comes. (I'm not saying a date. I just know that the first chapter should be posted either this week or the next week.)**

 **So with all of that being said, I'm going to end on a positive note and wish you all a very blessed day!**

* * *

 **Review Response:**

 _ **Extinction17:**_

 **The only part that you will see happen is what you said about Nuka. Everything else... I'm going to be doing something else. Good suggestions though. I'll probably use something like that in some of my later writings. Thanks again!**

 _ **The equalizer:**_

 **Yeah I know, but they'll never say it so They'll just log in as a guest and trash me. lol.**

 **That would honestly be great if this story can break the TLK review record. It's already got over 15k views, so it's become pretty popular. It just need more followers and reviewers is all.**

 **Thanks for understanding about college. It's definetly a top priority, but I still want to get this story out for you guys. It wouldn't have gotten this far without you all.**

 _ **dragonbond007:**_

 **You'll see. (If you want a longer response then post something longer.) lol jk. This works fine. X)**

 _ **Kamakazi:**_

 **Yep... it's all beginning to take shape.**

 **Scar is actually a long time friend of theirs, and plus, he promised them power and glory if he wins back his kingdom. If he doesn't win, then they won't get what they were promised. So he needs them and they need him.**

 _ **LouisianaFan1:**_

 **Thanks again. Appreciate it!**

 _ **Lionguarddefend:**_

 **Is Scar crazy... or genius? lol.**

 **In terms of dealines... when people colab with me, it's whenever the chapter is available. In terms of future stories of my own design, it continues when one project ends. So after Rise of Simba, I'll start on a fresh new Story from the list.**

 _ **GoKiara:**_

 **Yep, Nala is once again with cub! However, Kion will come later. Since Kiara is the oldest, I think it would be best if Kion comes on the scene after everything else that has happened. Yes, that will probably make him the youngest in the Lion Guard, but that will also give him some impressive qualities with his size and wisdom.**

 _ **Noobinator:**_

 **In terms of Simba's troubles... they've only just begun unfortunately. :(**

 **In terms of the Outlanders and their creation... look to Tizamo for a clue on how that could come to pass.**

 _ **Jazzy:**_

 **Oh, Simba will be shocked when he realizes Scar is back. That will be a fun chapter. :)**

 _ **Justin:**_

 **Yep, that's pretty much the idea of this story. A fun little adventure to read, compare to the movie, and just relax. That's honestly what I do from time to time with this story myself. lol**


	27. Chapter 27

**Yes! Got it out on time!**

 **I've got to be honest, this one I'm extremely proud of. I've gone back and forth thinking on how to make this the best most impacting chapter by far and I think I did it. As always, leave a review if you enjoy or wish to comment on something. Just keep it clean of profanity, verbal assault, and bashing other people and it will appear. And also follow if you haven't so that you don't miss out on a chapter if more technical difficulties ever pop up and so that I can respond to you.**

 **As always, You're support is greatly appreciated. I've got more to say but I'll save it till the end since I know you all probably want to get straight into this.**

 **So without further a do, here is chapter 27 of Rise of Simba!**

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 **Ch. 27 She Lives in You**

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Today was the day… no matter what, she had to tell her son what was really going on.

After yesterday's talk with Malka, things persisted as they normally did. The lionesses went hunting, Simba left early in the morning with Malka for patrolling and lessons, and Nala remained behind to watch over Kopa and Kicheko, who were currently grounded, and the others in Malka's Guard were hanging out with Atriss and Sabini who volunteered to patrol with them. Still… Sarabi couldn't help but wonder on how this news would affect everything. She knew things would be different, it already was with Zira and her lot lurking on the outskirts of the Pride Lands. Sarabi meant to tell Simba sooner, yet… after she heard about the elephants and the recent attacks, she just couldn't risk distracting her son from his duty as king. Yet… in the end, she understood that she was only prolonging the inevitable. Malka knew this, and he confronted her about it… as he should have.

" _I know you're trying to protect the one's you love by keeping them in the dark,"_ Sarabi remembered _, "but in the end, it will only hurt them if they don't know what is really happening with you."_

The old lioness sighed as she continued to lay on the floor of the cave. She knew what Malka was trying to say, but she just found this all so… painful. Her son's life had been difficult enough as it was. There was no need to add to it by letting him worry about her. In the end, there was no way around it. Either he learned about it today… or when the time comes.

"Grandma?" Sarabi flicked her ears when she heard the gentle sound of her grandson's voice. Looking back, she saw Kopa and Kicheko looking at her with worried expressions, "Are you alright?" Sarabi smiled at them, appreciating the concern.

"I'm fine, Kopa." Sarabi assured, "I'm just… tired is all."

"You haven't gotten up since this morning." Kicheko pointed out. Sarabi still kept her smile, but it was slightly less happy then it was before.

"I know…" was her response, "I'm just waiting for your father to get back. There's something I need to talk to him about. That's all." There was a moment of silence as both cub and pup looked at each other for a moment. They knew their grandmother was a very active lioness. But lately she's been staying inside the main den and letting Simba walk alone with Malka. It made them wonder if something was wrong.

"How about we go see Dad together?" Kopa suggested, innocently trying to help out. This however earned a rather skeptical look from lioness.

"Kopa…" Sarabi said with a warning tone in her voice, "You two are still grounded, which means under no circumstance, are either of you to leave Pride Rock."

"But… we'd be with you." Kicheko tried to point out, "And remember what Dad said about no one leaving Pride Rock without an escort? So… technically… we'd be your escort." Upon hearing this, Sarabi shook her head in amusement. Sometimes she forgot just how similar Kopa was to his father… and apparently that mischievous personality has rubbed off on Kicheko as well. So, finding it difficult to ignore such 'persuasive' words, Sarabi decided to go along with it.

"Well…" she began, seeing the faces of both Kopa and Kicheko brighten when they heard her, "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"Yippee!" instantly the cub and pup began running excitedly around the den, while Sarabi just watched in amusement. Of course, she knew that Simba would most likely throw a fit when he saw his grounded sons away from Pride Rock, but perhaps seeing them with her would lighten the mood a bit when she actually talked to him. In the end, Sarabi just hoped her son would understand why she kept this hidden from him.

"Come on, Grandma!" Kopa shouted as he and Kicheko made their way to the den's exit, "Let's go see Dad and Malka!"

"If we're lucky," Kicheko added, "We might be able to catch the tail end of the royal lesson."

"Hey, I never thought about that!" Kopa excitedly replied as they got out of sight. That's when Sarabi realized if she didn't start walking now, they'd most likely be long gone by the time she got outside. So, not wanting Simba to see Kopa and Kicheko out of Pride Rock alone, Sarabi slowly got to her feet and began making her way outside. Yet… little did she realize that that was a mistake.

"Slow down you two." She called out when she saw that they were already at the base of Pride Rock, "I thought you both said that you wanted to take me to-" That's when Sarabi felt it. The one thing that she had been dreading… it was happening.

Kopa and Kicheko skidded to a halt when they heard the loud groan come from behind them.

" _No…"_ Sarabi groaned mentally, _"Not here… not now!"_

When they looked back, their smiles instantly turned into frightful gasps as they watched Sarabi suddenly stiffen, her eyes widened for a moment. She then staggered, and then… collapse.

"GRANDMA!" they exclaimed as they both ran back up Pride Rock towards the fallen lioness. They didn't know what happened, but hearing her painful cries frightened them so much that they didn't know what else to do. As they approached her, they could only watch as Sarabi shakily held a paw over her head as she shut her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Grandma! What's wrong?" Kicheko exclaimed in shock, "Are you ok?"

"I'm… fine…" Sarabi managed to groan through her teeth, "I… just need to rest." Her words, however, didn't provide any comfort for the cub and pup. They weren't stupid. They knew something was wrong with their grandmother and they had to do something.

"HELP!" Kopa screamed as he frantically began looking around Pride Rock for any sign of an adult. His mom, a lioness, Zazu, even Timon and Pumbaa, anyone! "SOMEBODY… anybody… help!"

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For the rest of the day, everything that was happening at Pride Rock came to a complete stop. It didn't take long for word to spread like wildfire throughout the pride that Sarabi collapsed. Many were shocked by this news while others simply grimaced for they knew the time was drawing near. Though everyone feared for Sarabi's life, none more so than Simba and his family

What was meant to be a peaceful day was now an intense situation. Simba didn't know how this could have happened. He felt like his heart was going to fall out of his chest. All he could think about was the images he had witnessed. Seeing Zazu come and tell him of what happened, arriving at Pride Rock to see his sons crying in fear, to watch as Rafiki arrived and took Sarabi inside the den to help heal her, to see Nala and the others come out to him, and to hear Nala tell him that Sarabi was ill.

Now… Simba waited anxiously outside, along with Malka, his lions, Timon and Pumbaa, Zazu, and even his own sons. Despite having told all of the cubs to wait down at the base of Pride Rock, neither Kopa nor Kicheko would listen. They may have been young, but they knew that something was wrong and having witnessed Sarabi's collapse first paw, they were not about to leave their grandmother the way she was… and neither would Simba

"How could this have happened?" Simba asked out loud as he sat outside of the den. He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, but his statement caught the attention of the others who were waiting outside with him.

"Well… er," Pumbaa scratched his chin with his hoof, trying to come up with a positive answer for his friend, "It might not be that bad. She might have tripped on a rock or stubbed her paw. It might not be so bad?"

"Not so bad?!" Timon exclaimed as he got in the warthog's face, "You heard what happened! She collapsed like a spooked goat! And the worst part, she hasn't gotten up! She's been inside the den for the entire day! Now it's almost night and there is still no word from that voodoo, hippie of a monkey! There is no way…" right before Timon could finish his sentence, Pumbaa coughed and nudged his head towards Simba, who was now looking at his friends with a rather disappointed expression on his face. Realizing how he sounded, Timon nervously laughed before restating: "There is no way... she'll not pull through. Am I right? I mean come on, this is Sarabi for crying out loud. Heh…" Despite trying to put on a rather brave face, Simba already knew Timon's true thoughts, and he wasn't the only one who saw through Timon's bluff.

"It's difficult to say, Timon." Simba and his friends looked at Malka as he simply just looked out at the evening sky… and watched as the sun slowly, gradually… began to set.

"Shows how much you know, blondie!" the meerkat spat as he waved his hand dismissively at the lion, "That gal is as tough as nails, as stoic as a buffalo!"

"She's also not as young as she used to be." Malka countered, "She also endured years in a land with no food, little water, and a broken heart. All the while you were living in an oasis with her son, living the high life." Timon pointed his figure at Malka and was about to open his mouth, but when the lion's words began to sink in… he realized just how right he was. Not knowing what else to do, Timon withdrew his hand and just rubbed his arm, not really knowing what else to say or do.

"Malka…" Simba began as he walked up to his friend. He noticed that the way he talked he seemed… calm. Like this wasn't a shock to him. Recognizing that something was off, Simba asked him: "Did you know about this?"

Malka was silent as he continued to look up at the sky. His expression held no happiness, nor did it hold any hint of sorrow. It just remained serious, stoic, unyielding… which concerned Simba. After a brief moment of silence, Malka decided that it was up to him to tell Simba the truth since, it was pretty much obvious that Sarabi failed in her endeavors.

"She made me promise not to tell you… you know?" Malka sighed.

"What?" Simba questioned, not fully understanding what Malka was saying.

"You see…" Malka explained, "Sarabi originally asked me to come and help the Pride Lands be returned to it's natural state. I figured she wanted me to just form an alliance or something with whoever the new ruler was. But… then I saw you and your family, and I knew that everything was alright." For the first time in a while, Malka allowed a small smile to creep onto his face as he continued, "It wasn't a question of whether or not the Stone Lands would once again be on good terms with the Pride Lands. Knowing you were still alive… was all the reason I needed. Yet… Sarabi took things a step further and asked me to stay and train you… which I knew was out of the question since I had a kingdom back home to run."

That's when Simba remembered back to Malka's first night in the Pride Lands, and how he was against training him at first. He never really questioned why Malka changed his mind. He just figured Sarabi talked some sense into him. But now… after hearing all of this, he knew that there was more to the story than he first assumed.

"That night…" Simba began slowly as he followed Malka's gaze to the setting sun, "When my mother convinced you give me royal lessons… what did she tell you?" Upon hearing this, Malka's small smile turned sour as he shut his eyes, and finally revealed to Simba the truth he had been hiding ever since that night.

"Please understand, Simba. Your mother only had good intentions. Sarabi made me and Nala swear to never tell you this. She assured us that she would let you know." Malka tried to explain to his friend, before he revealed the truth: "She told me how she had been feeling ill as of late. How she would wake up feeling her bones ache… and her head hurt." Simba shut his eyes and turned away as he listened, still trying to comprehend all that was being said to him. "Somehow… she knew that her time was coming to a close. So, she called on me to come and continue your training. I promise she meant to tell you Simba, but after everything that has happened with Zira and the attacks…" Malka trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Luckily for him, he didn't have to.

Everyone suddenly heard a light, rattling sound. Looking back, they saw Rafiki walking out of the den, with a very grim look on his face. This told Simba that something was not right. As he turned and took a step towards him, he noticed Kopa and Kicheko suddenly run up to the old mandrill and began bombarding him with concerned questions about their grandmother's condition. Simba knew that this was certainly not something either Kopa or Kicheko should get involved with, despite their intentions.

"Kids." Simba addressed them, as he pulled them away from Rafiki with his paw, "Let me take care of this."

"But we want to help!" Kopa argued, but Simba was not in the mood for this.

"You can help by staying here." He sternly told them, causing them to flinch, "I'm going to be taking care of Grandma right now. I need you both to let me handle this. Ok?"

Kopa nodded with his ears pointed down, feeling scared for his grandmother. Kicheko did the same as Kopa, but he looked away, feeling a bit dejected for being talked down to by Simba. As Simba looked back at Rafiki, the old mandrill motioned to the den with his staff and Simba and Malka followed close behind began to make their way inside. Now, Simba's sons, Timon, Pumbaa and Malka's men were left to wait and see how it will all end for the old lioness.

"How is she?" Simba asked as he caught up and walked right alongside Rafiki.

"It doesn't look good," He said, trying not to keep her voice from choking, "I have done all I can… but…" As Rafiki trailed off, Simba saw Nala and all the lionesses crowded around his mother. When Sarabi saw her son, she made an attempt to get up and walk over to him, but not without wincing in pain. Simba felt like he wanted to cry when he saw how every step she took caused her pain. He quickly ran over to her and rubbed his head against hers. Malka took his place next to Nala as he sadly watched Sarabi slowly lie back down on the rocky floor, in pain, but happy that her son was here with her at these final moments of her life.

"Mother I…" Simba tried to speak, but he was cut off by his mother's words.

"You don't have to say anything," she said in a calm tone. "This is all my fault." Letting out a brief sigh, Sarabi shook her head as she tried to get the words out of her mouth, "I should have let you know about my condition. I see that now."

"How could you have kept this from me?" Simba asked as he felt his voice begin to choke.

"I was going to tell you." Sarabi tried to explain as she mentally pushed past the pain she was feeling in order to speak with her son, "But… I didn't want you worrying about me. With ruling the kingdom, watching over your family, learning how to be king… I didn't want to distract you from what you needed to do. Please understand, Simba. I meant to tell you. I just thought… I had more."

Simba's brows furrowed as he looked at the floor, trying to think of how to feel about all of this. So many emotions were going on in his head. Anger, hurt, sadness, regret… yet he knew what his mother was trying to do. It didn't make the situation any less sad but… he understood his mother's reasoning. She just wanted to see her son happy.

Sarabi saw how Simba went silent, so she did what any caring mother would do for her son. She raised her paw to the male lion's chin, and gently moved his head so that he was now looking straight into her eyes.

"It will be ok." Sarabi assured Simba, "You have made me so proud, my son. You will be a great king one day… just like your father." At that point, tears began slowly stream down the king's face as he hugged his mother, only seeking some sort of comfort in this time. "I know, I know," Sarabi said as if she was coddling a cub, "I promise you it will be ok my son. I'll always be-"

"Grandma? Are you ok?" The entire pride looked to see Kopa and Nala slowly walking into the cave; though Kopa still had no idea what was happening.

"Kopa?" Simba exclaimed in shock as he looked back to see both him and Kicheko standing at a distance, "I thought I told you to stay-"

"It's alright," Sarabi said to her son, "I would like to see my grandsons… one last time."

"Last time? What do you mean?" Kopa asked as he quickly bounded over to Sarabi.

"It's ok," Sarabi said, trying to offer comforting words for her grandson. "Soon… I'm going to be joining my beloved Mufasa."

"Mufasa? You mean Grandpa?" Kopa asked, still unsure by what he was hearing. "But Grandpa isn't here anymore, Grandma. What do you…"

"Grandma is dying…" Kicheko said softly while looking at Sarabi with wide, shocked eyes, "Isn't she?" The pup didn't really need to ask. He could figure it out from what he heard from his father. But Kopa… this came as a shock to him.

"Is it true?" Kopa asked as he looked up at his father and the other adults in the room, "Is Grandma going to die?"

"Kopa…" Simba tried to reach out to try and pet Kopa to comfort him, but Kopa quickly backed away from his father. Instead, he dashed towards Sarabi and embraced Sarabi's chest in a massive hug.

"YOU CAN'T DIE!" Kopa cried while burying his face in Sarabi's chest. Knowing that this was very hard for her young grandson, Sarabi soothingly brushed his head with her paws as she allowed him to vent: "Please Grandma! You can't die! You just can't!"

"Shhhh…" Sarabi soothed, "I know this is hard, Kopa. But you have to be brave. All princes have to be brave if they ever want to be a king one day. Can you do that for me? Can you be brave for me?" Kopa couldn't even bring himself to speak. He didn't care about what a king should or shouldn't do at that moment. All he knew was that his grandmother was passing away, and knowing that tore him apart inside. Though Kopa's cries were that of a heartbroken child… the other adults in the room couldn't help but be touched by the young one's love for the old queen.

It was Sarabi who led the Pride during those hard years under Scar. It was Sarabi who took care of Nala after the incident with her parents. Everyone had been touched and moved by Sarabi's kindness. Zazu would have been eaten by hyenas if she hadn't convinced Scar to keep him alive. She had helped teach Sabini and Atriss how to hunt during their early years. She even took care of Malka when he was lost and alone, and even offered to adopt him if he never found his parents. Without Sarabi encouraging them along… there was no telling where they would all be without her big heart to guide them.

Eventually, the cries of the young cub began to be too much and some of the others found tears rolling down their cheeks because of the sorrow being emitted. Soon, Nala slowly approached Kopa and slowly pulled the young cub away from Sarabi and allowed him to cry in her own paws for a time. She remained silent while doing so, for she knew that there were truly no words that would make this situation any better.

Still… despite this situation, there was still one person in the room who kept a rather happy demeanor.

"Your son has a strong spirit." Sarabi told Simba, causing him to look back at Sarabi in shock, "He will recover in time." Simba looked back at his mother and gave her a small smile. Though she was slowly dying, Simba couldn't help but admire how she did not seem to be worried. She was happy that she would soon be reunited with her mate, and that she was leaving the pride with her more than capable son. In a way, her attitude lightened the mood. Simba walked back over to his mother and rubbed his head against hers. If she could put on a smile during this… then so could he.

"We are all going to miss you." He said in a gentle tone, "especially Kopa."

"I know," Sarabi sighed, "but at least I'll be leaving him with a strong king to look after him. He is destined for great things… I just know it." Simba looked at his mother, confused by what she said. Sarabi, however, didn't look at him. Instead she stared off into the distance at the pup who seemingly kept his distance for this entire time.

"Come here Kicheko." Sarabi called. Hesitantly, Kicheko walked up to Sarabi with his tail between his legs. He didn't cry often, but this was one of those rare occasions he found he couldn't help himself. He sniffed and wiped away the tears in his eyes as he looked up at one of the very few animals in the entire kingdom who truly loved him.

"I need you to do something for me, little one."

"A-Anything Grandma." The pup hickuped as he tried to keep his composure.

"I need you to be there for Kopa." Sarabi sincerely told him, "He'll need a good friend like you as he grows up. Can you watch out for him for me?"

"D-Definitely." Kicheko smiled, as he wiped away the tears from his eyes. It pleased Sarabi to know that the hyena would be there for her grandson. She loved both him and Kopa equally and even here at her final moments, she thought back to how Kicheko was dropped off by those hyenas what felt like so long ago. What was meant as a cruel gesture… turned out to be a great gift.

Though she wished she had more time, Sarabi knew her journey was coming to a close. With a sense of urgency, she looked up to Malka and told him: "It's time, Malka." This caught Malka a bit off guard.

"Wait…" he stuttered, "Now?"

"Yes now!" Sarabi tried to say sternly before breaking out in a fit of coughs. Though Malka realized what Sarabi meant, he found her orders (especially in this situation) to be rather sudden. Knowing that he was now working against the clock, Malka got up to get started, but not before looking back at Sarabi and telling her: "Thank you Sarabi. For everything."

"Thank you. Malka." Sarabi replied, her voice now growing a bit weaker, "For taking care of my family." Giving her one last smile, Malka turned towards Nala and whispered something in her ear. Then, she picked up Kopa, who was now quietly sobbing, by the scruff of his neck and together, she and Kicheko followed Malka outside.

This caused the pride to whisper to each other in confusion, not understanding what was going on. Only Rafiki and Zazu knew what Sarabi told Malka, and in a way, they were happy for it.

"What did you tell them?" Simba asked Sarabi.

"To prepare… my final lesson for you, my son." Sarabi replied as she slowly laid her head in between her paws.

"You expect Malka to show me something after this?" Simba gasped. He couldn't… he couldn't even think of anything else other than his mother at this point. Seeing the distraught look in Simba's face, Sarabi decided to not keep anymore secrets from her son.

"Come here," she motioned for Simba to come close. As Simba walked right up next to her, the other lionesses gathered around started to whisper amongst themselves, wandering what Sarabi was doing. "Oh, how I wish your father was the one to teach you this," she sighed, "but it seems he has left it up to me." Without hesitation, she pulled her son in close and whispered something in his ear. Simba listed intensely, absorbing every word she told him. Once she was done telling her son what it was she was telling him, he looked at her with his ears up and his eyes wide.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes." Sarabi nodded, "So now you know I'll… *cough* never leave… *cough* cough*"

At this point, Simba began to cry again, knowing that she was now fading. "It is ok my son, I have lived a full life… and… I can leave knowing that you are here, making a difference."

After hearing what Sarabi told him, Simba knew his time was short. So, with a heavy heart, he stood to his feet, gave his mother one last hug, and turned to leave. As he walked out of the den, he looked back once more at this mother, who simply gave him a small, gentle smile, and turned to head out into the savannah. He just hoped he wouldn't be to late to catch up with Malka and Nala before _it_ actually happened.

The moment Simba got out of sight, Sarabi smiled, closed her eyes and whispered: "Good luck... my son."

'

* * *

'

"Why?" Kopa asked Nala as he looked up at her with tears streaming down his face. "Why does Grandma have to die? IT'S NOT FAIR!" Kopa then shut his eyes tight as he once again began to cry into this mother's chest.

After they left Pride Rock, Malka and Nala walked out to a nearby clearing in the savannah and simply waited. The evening was almost over as the sunset was barely showing over the hills. The stars began to shine and the night was almost upon them. They were running out of time. Still, while they waited, the least Nala could do was try and comfort her sons.

"I know… we're all going to miss grandma." Nala said as she tried to put on a brave face for Kopa and Kicheko, who was standing nearby. "but she now is with her king, Grandpa Mufasa. Now she is with someone whom she missed very much. Do you think she would want you to be sad, all because she is with him again?" Kopa rubbed his tear stained face and sniffed when he heard this.

"Well… no but…" He tried to speak, "but why did she have to leave us?"

"Leave us?" everyone heard a new voice, "She is still with us." Kopa and the others looked to see Simba walking towards them all. And despite just moments ago being seen crying in his mother's arms, he seemed a bit… happier than before.

"What do you mean?" Kopa asked as he wiped the tears from his face.

"That means…" Malka explained as he got up and looked at Simba with a smirk, "Sarabi decided to go ahead and spoil the lesson for you dad." Simba went and took a seat next to Nala, all the while getting concerned expressions from Kopa and Kicheko. Why was their father so happy? What were the adults talking about?

"Tell me, kids." Malka questioned as he walked up to the group and treated Simba and his family as if they were an audience, "Has your father ever told you about the legend of the Great Kings?" This answer received some silent nods from the pup and cub. Seeing that, Malka smiled as he continued: "Well then, this should be pretty straight forward for you then. For the Great Kings of the Past look down on us from the stars. Yet… did you know the stars are also Great Queens?"

"Really?" Kicheko asked.

"Yes…" Malka nodded, before looking up at Simba. Simba gave him a small smile, which told him that he was alright in continuing the story lesson, "All of them. The Kings, the Queens, the rulers of old, all watch over us from the stars."

"Well it would be nice if they let us know they were watching us." Kicheko groaned, earning some surprised looks from the adults, "I mean, seriously? How do you know stars are even Great Kings? They are so far away. They can be anything."

"Those stars are closer than you think." Simba said, getting his son's attention, "They will be there for you when you need them."

"Yes…" Malka smiled, seeing Simba understand what they were all about to see, "All you have to do is see them for what they are. Can you both do that?"

"Um…" Kopa sniffed, finally starting to calm down from his intense crying from earlier, "I can try."

"I guess…" Kicheko sighed, not really sounding sure about this whole thing now that he thought about it, "But how do you know they are even there?"

"All you have to do," Malka instructed, "Is look up… and listen."

Not knowing what else to do, Kopa and Kicheko looked up at the sky in silence and waited for something to happen.

It had now turned completely to night, signifying the end of yet another day. Though both children found it odd that they were doing this, they did hear all of the sounds of the night. The birds pecking at the trees, putting their young to bed, the insects chirping and clicking their tunes in the night, even the wind blowing through the tall grass gave them some sort of sense. It was as if nature itself was silently celebrating in their quiet way. But for what… they did not yet know. That was when Malka, decided to explain this to them… in a way Sarabi and Mufasa once told him and Simba a long time ago. It was an old hymn, but it left a mark on them, and in return, Malka hoped by saying it, it would leave a lasting impression on the young ones.

* * *

 **SHE LIVES IN YOU**

 **'**

 **Malka:**

 ** _Night… and spirit of life… calling._**

 **'**

 **Voices in the Night:**

 ** _Oh, oh, iyo_**

 ** _'_**

 **Malka:**

 ** _Mamela_**

 ** _'_**

 **Voices in the Night:**

 ** _Oh, Oh, iyo_**

 ** _'_**

 **Malka:**

 **(Sadly looks at Kopa)**

 ** _And a voice… with the fear of a child… asking._**

 ** _'_**

 **Voices in the Night:**

 **Oh, Oh, iyo**

 **'**

 **Malka:**

 **Oh, Mamela**

 **'**

 **Voices in the Night:**

 **Oh, oh, iyo**

 **'**

 **(A brief pause as Kopa and Kicheko look up at the sky in disappointment)**

 **(Simba notices this)**

 **'**

 **Simba:**

 ** _WAIT!_**

 **(Echoes)**

 ** _There's no Mountain to great!_**

 ** _Hear these words and have faith…_**

 ** _Ooooooh…_**

 ** _Have faith._**

 ** _'_**

 **Voices in the night:**

 ** _Hela hey mamela,_**

 ** _Hela, hey mamela,_**

 ** _Hela hey mamela_**

 ** _Hela he mamela_**

 **(Continues to chant in the background)**

 **'**

 **Malka:**

 ** _She lives in you._**

 ** _She lives in me._**

 ** _She watches over… everything we see._**

 ** _'_**

 **Simba:**

 ** _In every creature… in every star…_**

 ** _In your reflection… she lives in you._**

* * *

 **"** DAD! DAD!" Kopa suddenly began to shout excitedly, "Look up there!" As everyone looked up, they saw a faint light suddenly appear in a vacant spot in the sky. Everyone watched as this light grew bigger and brighter, until it began to stand out as a beautiful diamond in the sky. A bright smile grew on Nala's face while Kopa and Kicheko looked up in awe as light from the new star began to shine down on them. All the while, Simba and Malka continued their praise.

* * *

 **Simba:**

 ** _She lives in you!_**

 ** _She lives in me!_**

 **'**

 **Malka:**

 ** _She's watching over… everything we see!_**

 ** _'_**

 **Nala:**

 ** _In every creature… in every star._**

 ** _In your reflection…_**

 ** _They live in you._**

 **(Chanting and music continue)**

* * *

 **'**

"What is it?" Kopa asked, "A Great King?" Simba smiled as he bent down and nuzzled his son.

"More like a Great Queen." He answered. That's when it hit Kopa and Kicheko.

"Wait a minute, is that… Grandma?!"

"Yes, it is," Simba said with a smile on his face as he, Malka and Nala looked up at the sky with smiles on their faces, "She is now one of our many ancestors in the sky." Kopa's face brightened, as he looked up at the even brighter sky. Although he wouldn't be able to do all of those fun things with Grandma anymore, he at least will be able to see her and talk with her every night. Kopa was happy that he would be able to see Grandma Sarabi again.

As for Kicheko, he felt stupid for doubting the words that Simba and Malka told him. He was also very happy to see that Sarabi would still be there for him and Kopa and he would keep his promise to Sarabi about looking after Kopa and being there for him no matter what. Still, it made Kicheko wonder.

" _Can a hyena get a star?"_

 **(Chanting and music fades)**

 **End of Chapter 27**

 _(In loving memory of Madge Sinclair (1938-1995) you are sorely missed)_

* * *

 **Not going to lie guys... I cried a bit writing this chapter. I know I'm the one who writes it all but... sometimes these roller coaster chapters really get me right in the heart. Still... it had to be done.** **You want to know why she ain't in TLK 2? She got a send off she deserved.**

 **Now, the song in here is from the "Best of the Lion King" album that can either be bought on ITunes or watched on YouTube (I don't do links because every time I do, copy and paste doesn't seem to work for me.)**

 **But in good news for those of you who didn't know, I'm currently in collaboration with 2 other writers to making another big Lion King story "In a Perfect World". The story can be found on my account and if you have any questions about upload days then please... don't ask me.**

 **lol. I will tell you that since there are multiple people working on it, it will come out in either a 1 to 3 week period. But if you're looking for something else to hold you over while waiting for more of this story to continue, then that's a TLK story I strongly recommend checking out.**

 **Well... that's pretty much it guys. Until next time, this is Rogue Lion signing off.**

 **(Salutes the Audience)**

* * *

 **Review Response:**

 **A fft critic**

 **This story can sometimes have that kind of Lord of the Rings or movie feel to it. Meaning that some parts of the story pop up that are not as interesting as others but get put in for either character growth or continuity sake. It's just my way of making sure details and events don't get left out.**

 **Yeah... I do wish I could have had more integration between Kicheko and the girls. I just didn't know how to do it without going off track on leading up to ch. 27. So I made it brief. Though... sometimes it makes me think I should create a deleted scene story for this story. I have a ton of stuff I wish I could showcase, but it's just a matter of tying the story together and focusing on certain aspects of the story that can be an issue. But I get where you are coming from.**

 **Jazzzzy:**

 **Yep, that pup is a wild card. One that will make a difference in this story and the Lion Guard.**

 **Lionkingfan:**

 **Thanks. And yeah. This was an popcorn worthy chapter in my opinion.**

 **LouisianaFan1:**

 **Yeah, the action scenes were awesome! Thanks for commenting on that.**

 **Repoman:**

 **Yep... now you know. The secret... was going to see Mufasa.**

 **Gokiara:**

 **I know how Sarabi can be sometimes an underrated character. Hopefully this chapter does her justice.**

 **Soniq:**

 **Well, they can't all be intense. It kills the mood for later chapters. Kicheko was an orphaned pup who Shenzi considered killing but rather decided to drop him off with Simba. Fun fact, he originally was supposed to be Shenzi's son, but after the arrival of Janja, Jasiri, and all those hyenas I put him in as unrelated. He's kind of a male version of Asante from Kopa's classic hyena friend. So he has a use after all.**

 **Hope the secret was worth the wait though.**

 **Justin :**

 **I'm glad you have been enjoying it. You got to pay attention to those little details I throw in there. Some might hint to later content down the road.**

 **Princess Timira:**

 **Well... looks like K has got a fan club now. Lol**

 **If I had plans for more characters then I couldn't say because it might spoil upcoming plans. But suffice to say that pretty much everyone you need to know about is in the story already.**

 **Also, thanks for the support. This is something I write for enjoyment but also for you guys to enjoy and share in the experience as well. Why people enjoy putting others down so much is a mystery to me. In any case, thank you for that.**

 **Chikeraking:**

 **Well... that's the best thing about this story. You'll never know how and where things will jump, but it is all tied in. We'll get back to Tizamo at another time in another place, but suffice to say his part in this story will be bigger than anyone will realize.**


	28. Chapter 28

**And Here it is! Chapter 28!**

 **(Don't mind the word count. I had a LONG response in the guest section.)**

 **Now I do want to let you all know that due to Finales being just around the corner this story will have to go on a brief hiatus.**

 **(I'm sorry, but real life comes first and I got to put some stuff aside to get those high grades.)**

 **This story though will be picked back up during the summer when I have more free time to sit down and write it.**

 **Despite this little setback, you all can still be expecting content to come out. Though this story will be on hold, the other AU story I'm writing "In a Perfect World" will still be going up. Now you're probably wondering "What is this?! You stop Rise of Simba but focus on this story?! What in the-"**

 **Here me out.**

 **"In a Perfect World" has 2 other people (other than myself) working on it. I don't have to write it from the ground up like I have to do with this story, so I have less work to do in order to make a good chapter. So basically they send me the stuff, I look over it, I spruce it up for them, and then it get's published.**

 **I do want to also want to point out that even though I try to get my facts straight and keep it as closely lined up to cannon as possible, some times that changes due to Disney and the Lion Guard. This story began before many of the Lion Guard episodes came out and is my first story ever. So of course there might be a little detail here and there that might need changing later on.**

 **(Fun fact: Makini wasn't originally going to be in this story but when Disney introduced her I threw her in back in Ch. 10. Now apparently I'm being told That Sarabi will actually be alive in the Lion Guard, but I'll have to wait and see)**

 **In any case, my main goal is to get this story finished and then maybe rewrite it in a year or two after it's completion.**

 **So with all that being said, Let's get into chapter 28!**

 **'**

 **'**

 **'**

 **Chapter 28 Just Like Mufasa**

 **'**

 **'**

 **'**

* * *

 **(Back to the Present)**

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone reflected on this part of the story. Seeing that this was a personal subject, Rafiki stopped his story and looked around at the audience. Kiara and Kovu appeared to be deep in thought while Simba and Nala were holding back some tears, but they seemly still kept their cheery demeanor. His apprentices, Marifa and Makini, just sat on the ground having very serious expressions, telling Rafiki that they were trying to piece together what would happen next.

That just left Mega.

"So…" the tan lion cleared his throat and broke the silence, "I think that we can all learn something valuable from this."

"And what might that be?" Rafiki questioned.

"If anything," Mega said with a smirk, "It just goes to show where Simba got his knack for keeping secrets from everyone." Though he tried to lighten the mood, not everyone took to his joke kindly. A sudden crack sounded as Mega gritted his teeth and he quickly grabbed the top of his head in pain.

"Geeze!" Mega exclaimed as he looked over at Rafiki who was smiling with his staff in hand, "What was that for?"

"There is a time to joke and a time to be serious," Rafiki said as he kept a firm grip on his staff, "Dis is not de time for jokes. For even though a loved one is no longer with us, remembering de passing of dat loved one can still be tormenting."

"I didn't mean it like that…" Mega groaned as he looked back at Rafiki with annoyance, "I'm sorry." Mega didn't mean to be insensitive about the matter. He just figured they all had moved on from the subject. And seeing how Kiara never knew her grandmother, he didn't think this matter would be hard on her as well. Apparently, he was wrong.

"Though Sarabi's passing was sad… some good came out of de incident," Rafiki then added as he looked Mega with a smug smile on his face, "If I remember correctly, you comforted Sabini after de funeral. That's when you both started to become close. No?" Rafiki then let out a lighthearted chuckle, which earned a shocked response from both Mega and the others.

"H-Hey!" Mega tried to defend himself, "It wasn't anything like that! Both Sabini and Atriss were mourning after Sarabi passed. It was only right for Ikkane and myself to be there for them."

"Mmmhmm…" Rafiki said as he scratched his chin with his figure, "Sure… whatever you say, Mr. Mega." This comment earned some snickers from Makini and Marifa, who could tell that their master was messing with the adult lion. Seeing the irony of Rafiki joking after he just said this was a serious matter, Mega took a step towards the chuckling mandrills but was stopped when he felt a paw on his shoulder.

"Mega…" the tan lion heard Simba's calm voice, "Rafiki is just messing with you. We all know you were there for Sabini when she needed it. Honestly… I wasn't thinking about them at the time. You and Ikkane really made a difference."

 _Made a difference_ … if anyone knew anything about making a difference it was Simba. Mega looked back at the Lion King and thought back to when he was still learning how to be a king. He had grown so much since then, even after all he had been through.

"Thank you, Simba." Mega stated as he looked back at his good friend, "At least I know you understand what I actually meant." Having said that, Simba and Mega sat back down beside Nala and began to listen once again to Rafiki. While they were all listening, however, that's when Kiara noticed something off about one of the audience members.

She looked back at Kovu and watched how the young male was looking off to the side and not really paying attention to Rafiki's words. For some reason he had become strangely silent ever since Mega arrived for some reason. It wasn't like him.

"Kovu?" Kiara whispered as she leaned over to her boyfriend, "Is everything alright?"

"Huh?" that's when Kovu noticed Kiara looking at him, so he replied: "Oh… yeah. Everything's fine, Kiara. I was just… thinking."

"About what?" Kiara questioned silently, trying not to disturb Rafiki.

"Well…" Kovu sighed, not really knowing how to explain it, "It's about that Tizamo guy."

"What about him?" Kiara asked again. This time, however, Kovu decided it was not worth explaining.

"Never mind. It's nothing." the young male shook his head in dismay, "Let's just get back to the story. Alright?"

Kiara didn't know whether or not to believe that everything was alright with Kovu, but she decided not to push the matter. She too was curious as to what Tizamo was doing out in the wild with that unconscious lioness and her attacker. Hopefully, Rafiki would explain it more in time.

"After Sarabi's passing," Rafiki continued on, "our king Simba began to take his role much more seriously than he did before. With Sarabi gone, de secret beyond the Pride Land's borders, and a new cub on de way, Simba began to work himself to try and keep everyone safe."

"It wasn't that bad." Simba stated to Rafiki, trying to explain himself, "I just added a few extra training regiments to my schedule. That's all."

"And in doing so…" Rafiki concluded for Simba, "you made yourself oblivious to de dangers dat were on your very doorstep."

'

* * *

'

 **(Back to the Story)**

"That's it! Keep your head up!" Leo instructed as he began circling Simba, "Keep your eyes on me! Don't ever let your opponent out of your sight!" Simba readied his stance and lunged at Leo, pawing his side. Leo responded with a similar strike to Simba's head but he ducked before the massive paw could make contact.

"Good!" Leo affirmed as he pressed his attack, "You never want to give your opponent an easy fight. If he's bigger than you then stay out of reach. Just keep on wearing him down and he'll waste all his energy trying to kill a target he can't reach."

Recently, Simba began joining Malka's guard for their training sessions; which was in a sense very wise of him. Normally it was the guard's job to protect the kingdom, but since Simba really didn't have a guard yet, he had better learn how to defend himself as well as his home properly. Sure, the lionesses and Malka's guards were doing everything in their power to protect him and the Pride Lands, but the last thing Simba wanted to do was put his friends and family in harm's way needlessly. It was his job to protect them… not the other way around.

At least that's how Simba looked at it.

On the sidelines, Malka laid in the grass and watched as Simba and Mega sparred in the middle of a dirt clearing. With him, were all the cubs who were currently on the side lines with him. For the cubs this was more of an outing instead of a training session. Boga and Babu were playing together while Afua, Tammy, Timira, Kicheko and Kopa watched as Simba and Leo spared, cheering them on.

"Come on Dad!" Kopa cheered, "You can do it!"

"You got this Uncle Leo!" Timira cheered.

"Kick his tail!" Afua shouted.

Malka, drew his gaze away from the fight and looked back at the cubs for a brief moment. Part of him questioned allowing them to come along with a threat looming over, but Nala and the others assured him that they should be safe as long as they stayed close. Besides, most of the sightings were in the other areas of the Pride Lands. Today they would be training in the northern territory of the Pride Lands.

"Now kids," Malka said to the group, "This is a practice session. They're not trying to beat each other." Malka's comment was met with a unison of 'aww' as the cubs realized that they weren't really trying to win.

"Still," Kopa spoke up while giving his friends a smug look, "If they were really fighting my dad would totally win." The other looks back at the prince with rather annoyed expressions.

"Pffft! Of please," Afua rolled his eyes, "Uncle Leo would clobber Simba in an instant." Malka raised an eyebrow at his son and Kopa, though neither of them noticed the adult's gaze as they began to argue.

"My Dad took on an entire army of hyenas!"

"Well Leo fought off those rogues and even took a blow from an elephant killer!"

While the two princes went at it, Timira and Tammy just looked at the two boys with disappointed expressions.

"Seriously?" Timira asked with a deadpanned expression, "Why do guys always try to outdo each other?"

"Don't know." Tammy shrugged, "Maybe it's a guy thing?"

"Don't be to sure." Timira and Tammy looked to their left to see the hyena pup Kicheko looking at Kopa and Afua fighting, and he had the same confused expression as the girls, "I'm a guy and I still don't get it." Having said that, the three went back to silently observing the two princes going back and forth between each other.

"That's nothing!" Kopa growled, "My Dad took on Scar and beat him easily!"

"If Leo fought Scar, he would have crushed him easily!" Afua boasted while getting in Kopa's face, "That's not a big deal!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"IS TOO!"

"IS NOT!"

Eventually, it got to the point where Malka couldn't take anymore so he got up and separated both Afua and Kopa with his paws before a _real_ fight broke out.

"That's enough!" he ordered, causing all the cubs to look at Malka in surprise, "I brought you out here to watch us, but your attitudes right now are unacceptable!"

"But-"

"But-"

"No buts!" Malka cut the cubs off, "Since neither of you want to act like proper adults, you're both going back to Pride Rock."

"What?!" Afua exclaimed while Kopa just looked up at Malka in shock, "But Dad, that's not fair! Kopa is the one who started-"

"Enough!" Malka silenced his son, "I don't want to hear anymore. Both of you start heading home. Now." Kopa and Afua let out a growl of anger, but since neither of them wanted to get into anymore trouble, they both began walking back home. The other cubs watched silently as both princes began walking away with their ears laid back and their tails dragging on the ground. All the while, they were giving each other hateful glares.

"Hot head." Muttered Kopa.

"Spoiled brat." Afua shot back.

No one knew why, but ever since that time Kopa decided to challenge Beba and Afua to a race neither of them had gotten along. They would be always trash talk each other or try to out do the other in whatever area they could think of. It was starting to turn into an unhealthy rivalry between princes. In any case, they knew it having those two go back to Pride Rock alone was a recipe for disaster.

"Mr. Malka?" Malka looked back to see Timira was speaking to him, "Would you mind if I go with Kopa and Afua? You know they will probably just go at it again if they're left alone."

"Hmmm…" Malka thought about that for a second. Though he trusted his son to not get into too much trouble, he figured it wouldn't hurt if Timira tagged along, just to make sure. He was about to respond to the tan cub, but then the hyena chimed in.

"I'd like to go too," Kicheko stood next to Timira, "Let's face it, my brother will tear Afua apart if they're left alone."

"As if!" the orange cub Tammy scoffed as she walked up next to the hyena, "My brother would clobber Kopa in a heartbeat."

"You wan' a bet?" Kicheko asked with a playful smirk. In response, Tammy brought her muzzle up to Kicheko's and with the same playful smirk she replied: "Any time, fur brain."

"Ok you two, knock it off." Timira now stepped in and separated the two, "We've already got those two to worry about. The last thing we need is more childish behavior."

"Well… in our defense," Kicheko replied with a sheepish grin, "We are still children."

The king of the Stone Lands merely shook his head and chuckled as he watched Timira take charge. He wasn't surprised since she was always trying to look after her two younger siblings. Still, it was nice to see that she cared for the others. Kopa, Afua, Tammy, even Kicheko; she had taken a liking to all of them. He didn't see the harm in letting them tag along with Kopa and Afua.

After all, by the end of the day cubs would be cubs, and Kopa and Afua could use all the friends they could get.

"Sounds good to me, Timira," Malka stated casually, "Just make sure you all go straight home and nowhere else. I'll watch of Boga and Babu while you're gone." This earned a bright smile from the young cub.

"Thanks, Mr. Malka! Don't worry. We'll keep those two out of trouble." Timira said graciously as she then began to catch up to Kopa and Afua with Kicheko and Tammy trailing behind her.

As Malka watched the cubs run off, he turned back to see how the sparring match between Simba and Leo was going. That's when he noticed that Simba and Leo had stopped fighting. Simba was giving Leo a serious look while the large lion was taking slow, heavy breaths. Neither seemed to have noticed what had happened on the sidelines. They were both to preoccupied with the sparring session.

"Come on!" Simba ordered as he got back into a fighting position, "Let's go again!" Yet Leo staggered on his front paws as he tried to keep himself standing.

"H-Hold on a sec," he heaved as beads of sweat ran down his face, "You… really… got me on… that… last round. I… need… a break."

"Then take one, Leo." Both Simba and Leo looked to see Malka step into the ring and walk towards them, "I think Simba has shown that he can handle himself against larger opponents. But I wonder how he'll fair against someone of his own size?" Leo looked at Malka in surprise while Simba still kept his serious expression on his face. It wasn't often Malka did this, but Leo could tell that he was serious.

Malka wanted to spar with Simba.

"Heh… hey," Leo let out a tired laugh, "don't let… me… stand in your way." Having said that, the large tan lion limped on over to the side lines where he collapsed on the ground, exhausted from fighting Simba. This just left the king of both the Stone Lands and the Pride Lands alone.

Malka saw that Simba had not spoken a word since they had begun their training this morning. He seemed… different. Ever since Sarabi's passing, the Lion King's normal cheery attitude began to grow more and more serious. At first, Malka thought Simba just wanted to improve himself more since his mother was no longer around. Now, Malka saw that this might have to deal with something else entirely.

"So…" Malka began as he started out the sparing session by circling Simba, "How's Nala been?"

"Good." Simba replied bluntly as he too began to circle Malka, "the cub should be arriving any day now." Having said that, Simba lurched on his haunches and sprung towards Malka. Instead of dodging out of the way, Malka lunged at Simba and both lions collided in midair. Before either of them could hit the ground, they stood on their back paws and remained in a locked position as they began to stare each other down.

"Sounds exciting." Malka continued through gritted teeth as he held his ground against Simba, "What does Kopa think about having a younger sibling?"

"He's ecstatic. He thinks it's going to be a boy, but Nala thinks this time we'll have a girl." Simba replied before breaking the lock by lifting his right paw and bringing it down across Malka's left cheek. Both lions then took a step back to assess their opponent. Malka wasn't hurt too badly since neither of them were using their claws, but he could tell that Simba just gave him a bruise from that blow.

"A girl, huh?" Malka rubbed his cheek with his paw, "What do you think it will be?"

"I'm happy either way," was Simba's answer before he charged and Malka once again. Malka saw his opening and right as Simba lunged forward, Malka charged and using his head he rammed into Simba's midsection. Entirely taken by surprise, Simba was thrown back a couple of feet before balling up from the blow. He wasn't expecting Malka to knock the wind out of him like that. But what was even more surprising was what Malka asked next.

"If you're so happy, then why have you been acting like this lately?" Simba looked up to see the blond and black maned lion standing over him. Deep down he knew what Malka was implying, but he wasn't about to answer him.

"What are you talking about?" Simba asked.

"Do you really think I'm that oblivious to what's been going on?" Malka asked before he was met by Simba rising to his feet and throwing his right paw at him in an uppercut like motion. Luckily, Malka dodged it and was now going on the defensive as Simba pressed a fierce attack against him.

"You've started acting strange lately. Everyone can tell." Malka stated as he dodged another one of Simba's blows, "You've barely slept anymore, you're not smiling as much as you used to. Most of the time you've been spending more time training with me and the guys instead of being around Kopa and Nala. The lionesses doing border patrol have tripled their efforts into tracking down Zira and the others. You're even meeting with a king tomorrow to discuss an alliance. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

"I'm doing this for them!" Simba growled as his once precise attacks were becoming more sluggish and uncoordinated. This didn't surprise Malka. He had spent most of the morning fighting Leo. It was amazing that Simba was still fighting after this long.

"Are you really?" Malka asked, focusing now more on speaking to Simba rather than the sparring match, "Last I checked you've been going non-stop ever since Sarabi passed on. Does this have to do with her?"

"Be quiet!" Simba growled as he let out a roar and lunged to try and go for a biting attack. Malka blocked with his paw which ended up putting his front leg in Simba's jaws. Thankfully, Simba was still in enough control so that he didn't bite down too hard, but in a real fight Malka would have just gotten a broken paw.

"It does have to do with her, Doesn't it?" Malka questioned in a sterner tone as he slammed his other paw down on Simba's head, making him let go of his paw, "Do you seriously blame yourself for what happened to her?"

"No…" Simba replied as he looked through the hairs of his mane which were now unruly and covering parts of his face.

"Then why?" Malka growled back, "Why do you feel like you have to prove something? If so then what?"

"I'M THE KING!" Simba roared as he rushed Malka and lunged at him once again. This time, Malka wasn't able to get out of the way in time and wound up having Simba pin him to the ground. It would seem that whatever was inside Simba was now coming out in full force. This… was just what Malka wanted.

"Don't you get it?!" Simba growled in Malka's face as the Stone Lander just looked up at his friend with an expressionless look on his face, "I'm the one who should be looking after everyone! I'm the one who should be taking care of this pride! My mother hid this from me because she felt like I wasn't ready! She didn't trust me to make the right decisions after she died! There is a threat out there and here I am needing everyone's help! How can I protect everyone if I can't even do this on my own?!"

There was a moment of silence as Simba just looked down at Malka with bared teeth. He just didn't understand it. Thinking of Malka and his true reason for being here made Simba feel so helpless. Here is was, the great Lion King, being taught basics as if he was still some child being taught by his father. Mufasa knew exactly what to do. He was always putting himself in harms way in order to protect everyone. Simba just couldn't understand why.

Why couldn't he be more like his father?

Suddenly, Malka busted out laughing in Simba's face which caused his once furious look to soften into one of confusion. He took stepped back and allowed Malka to stand to his feet, all the while he continued laughing his head off.

"Oh, Simba." Malka sighed as he finished laughing and shook his head in amusement, "Your mother was right about you."

"About what?" Simba didn't know what Malka was talking about.

"You're just like Mufasa." Malka smirked when he saw a small smile suddenly appear on Simba's face.

"What? Really?" Simba asked, making sure he heard his friend right.

"Totally," Malka smirked as he explained: "You're both overprotective, self-centered morons who can't accept help from anybody."

'

* * *

'

Meanwhile, Kopa, Afua and the others were still trying to make their way back to Pride Rock. While, most of them kept a rather cheery attitude, Kopa and Afua were still upset at each other. They liked hanging out with their fathers during their training sessions. The fact that they had to leave really angered them.

Luckily, Timira saw that both boys were still festering in their anger so she decided to try and get their mind on other things rather than each other.

"I wonder how Mrs. Nala has been doing." Timira suddenly spoke up, getting everyone's attention, "She's been pregnant for some time now. I wonder when the new cub will come." Just as Timira thought, she got a response out of Kopa.

"My Mom says the cub will come any day now!" Kopa said with enthusiasm, "I'm so excited! I can't wait to be a big brother!"

"Really? Why is that?" Kicheko questioned the prince, "Is it because you'll finally have a little minion you can boss around?"

"What?!" Kopa gasped when he heard the hyena pup's remark, "Of course not! Finally, I'll have a little brother who will look up to me! I'll teach him to be brave, and strong, just like Dad! We'll have each other's backs and take on the bad guys that try and invade the Pride Lands!" Though Kopa went on ranting again, Tammy decided to point something out.

"You know," the orange cub stated with a giggle, "There is a chance you'll have a little sister."

"Ha! Yeah right." Kopa scoffed at the mere thought of it, "There's no way I'm getting a sister."

"I don't know, bro." Kicheko stated as he joined the girl's side of the conversation, "What if you do?" this made Kopa think for a moment. Though the cub had it already set in his mind that he was going to get a baby brother, he wondered what would happen if it did turn out to be a girl.

"Well…" Kopa conceded, "I'd probably have to teach her how to hunt and other girl stuff; but like I said, there is no way that's going to happen." This earned a bunch of giggles from the two female cubs while Kicheko just rolled his eyes in amusement. He knew that Kopa had a big heart, but he wondered if he had a brain to go with it sometimes.

"Hey guys!" suddenly, the group stopped when they heard Afua call out to them. They looked back to see the black tuffed cub standing on a small hill looking down at something as he called out again: "Come see this!"

"What is it?" Tammy asked her brother as they all ran to go see what was going on.

"Come look at this." When they got to where Afua was, they looked down over the hill and spotted something resting under the shade of a small acacia tree. Instantly all the cubs began to murmur to each other about what they saw.

"Wow… what is it?"

"I don't know, but it looks strange?"

"He looks funny."

"Geeze! He smells like Uncle Pumbaa"

While everyone looked at the funny looking creature, Kopa decided that he would go and see just what this thing actually was. That's when the others realized that Kopa had gotten up from his hiding spot and started walking down the hill.

"Kopa! Wait!" Timira quietly exclaimed, "It might be dangerous!" but her words fell on def ears as Kopa pressed forward and slowly approached the dark looking thing under the tree. As he got closer he heard the small animal snoring loudly. As the creature slept, it rolled over onto its side and showed Kopa its face. That's when the prince realized that this wasn't just some strange animal.

It was a lion cub!

 **End of Chapter 28**

* * *

 **And so, that's it for 28.**

 **We're starting to see some of Simba's intense side come through with what's been going on. I wonder how he'll take to what Malka told him.**

 **Also, I've been waiting a long time for Kopa and this character to finally meet. So you can expect the next chapter to have that in it.**

 **In closing, I just want to thank you all for your comments and reviews and for keeping up with this story. It means a lot to me to have such a big audience who really enjoys what I put out. Also, if you want to be updated on when the next chapter comes out during the summer, follow this story so that you will never have to worry about missing a chapter post.**

 **Though I love guest reviews, a ton of them have been abusing their ability to say whatever they want lately. So, in order try and weed out troll from genuine readers, I ask that if you can make an account and follow the story then it would be greatly appreciated. It's convenient, it helps support the story, and it lets me be able to talk to you freely without having to answer you guys in the top 10 guest review list.**

 **Because honestly, I wish I could reply to all of you. Some of you guys have such great questions. I do reply to whoever has an account and reviews so if you want a response on what you have to say without worrying about getting a review in on time then I strongly encourage you to get and account and review on that account.**

 **Thank you all so much again and I hope to see you all this summer for chapter 29.**

 **This is Rogue Lion signing off**

 **(Salutes the readers)**

* * *

 **Guest Response:**

 **GoKiara:**

 _ **Yep. This was meant to be a heart jerker of a story. Glad to see it had such a strong impact on you.**_

 **A fft critic :**

 _ **Don't worry. I cried too while I was writing this.**_

 _ **I'm surprised that you didn't find anything wrong in it. I went back a few times and saw where I messed some stuff up. It does my heart good to know that my writing really captivates to that extent.**_

 _ **Long Live Sarabi indeed! I hear she's going to have a more serious roll in the upcoming Live Action Lion King movie, so that should be interesting to see.**_

 **Jazzzzy:**

 _ **I always take pride in my work, but knowing that people enjoy it is just icing on the cake for me. I figured since so many people have made a doom and gloom version of Sarabi's passing, I'd make one with a more happy tone to it.**_

 _ **Glad you enjoyed.**_

 **Soniq:**

 _ **Just doing my job. Long live the queen! XD**_

 **Dreamer:**

 ** _Thank you for your kind words. It honestly means a lot._**

 **Lionkingfan:**

 _ **Yep. I figured that song would go nicely with this moment. I couldn't really think up of a dialogue for leading into it, so I figured I'd just go with the song. I feel as though that left more of an impact than a mere lesson from Malka.**_

 **Hotrod:**

 _ **Sarabi was a good character. She will be missed in this story. But hey, at least she'll live on in "In a Perfect World." Lol**_

 _ **No words are needed. Just knowing that this story brought tears to your eyes tells me that you enjoyed it. I'm so glad you enjoyed.**_

 **Gipsy avenger:**

 _ **I took a subject that people have made into a tragedy and gave it a silver lining. I think if authors did that more often then many stories would have better reactions then most. That's just my opinion anyway.**_

 _ **It was my pleasure. Thanks for thanking me.**_

 **Extiniction17:**

 _ **Oh yeah... She knows what's in store for Kopa. and believe me, she couldn't be prouder.**_

 **AfuaxBoga:**

 ** _Ok... as a man of my word, here is your response. I hope it answers any questions you have._**

 ** _First up. Timeline_**

 ** _The story hasn't ended yet. So saying that it doesn't match up because Scar hasn't met Kovu yet is jumping the gun a bit. Quite honestly I was expecting you to ask: "Where are the Outlanders? Shouldn't Scar have followers and not these dumb OC guys?" I'm surprised no one has really taken notice of that little detail yet. Lol_**

 ** _As far as LG characters are concerned, if you take a look at the ones mentioned so far in the story you'll find that they do match up. The elephants, the hippos, the baboons, they all have lifespans of over 30 years so having them live in a time where characters Like Kiara and Kion are not on the scene yet is completely believable._**

 ** _The hyenas, I admit, are a bit of a stretch. But since Disney likes to not make things clear with the proper sizes of characters in the Lion Guard series, I'd imagine Jasiri, Janja, and Madoa to be teenagers by that time. Also, since hyenas are fairly smaller than lions I thought it wouldn't be to farfetched for Kion to be younger than Jasiri and still be around her size. (This is also under the assumption that he is more bulkier then most cubs his age.)_**

 ** _Now... Sarabi and Zira._**

 ** _Besides the fact that I clearly made Sarabi ill in this story, I left their ages margins up for debate for the readers to decide. Though I said that they all knew each other when they were younger, I was personally aiming for Scar and Sarabi to be teenagers and Zira and the other males to be more like cubs. Basically them being in those years where they look up to older kids and hang out with them to be cool. That's just how I interpreted it._**

 ** _Now as for songs..._**

 ** _I'm going into film so part of me pictures that a scene or emotion can't be portraid properly through dialoge alone. For some scenes, I feel as though songs make a difference. I know people have tried on this site before. (I've seen them. Most of them are cringe) But when I write them into the story I at least put them in a format of a script, giving details and structure than most people do when incorporating them into the story. Though to some it can be cringe worthy, others actually enjoy it. Personally I feel like they can add to the story and portray emotions that can be hard to express. So that's my reasoning behind it._**

 ** _I do of course keep it solely TLK songs so that fans will have something they already know about and not risk a song they don't know about._**

 ** _Now... Kopa._**

 ** _I thought he kind of did act more like himself. Awe well, he get's that from his father I guess. lol_**

 ** _But seriously, I see where you can think that sometimes by giving him similar dialogue to what Simba said when he was younger. (That was intentional in ch. 27) Though his personality i find to be one of his own (Him taking a stand against Zira and her group, not getting Hakuna Matata, always being there for people he cares about even during intense moments) I thought that lined up with him pretty well. Maybe that's just me. Hmmm..._**

 ** _In closing..._**

 ** _Thanks for pointing these things out. I like it when people ask about matters like these. This is of course my first story ever, so even I don't expect it to be perfect. Will I ever do a rewrite of it? Yes. Will it be in the middle of the story? No._**

 ** _I want to finish this story first before deciding to do anything else with it. I'll probably rewrite it a year or 2, but first I have to complete it._**

 ** _In any case, your review has been noted and if you want to comment on future chapters then be my "guest". (Ha! I made a joke) All I ask is that if you do continue to comment, then please be sincere in your reviews. Don't direct any kind of harsh and meaningless statements at the content or at myself or the other authors. Your first review you ever posted was perfect in that sense. The ones that have been showing up in my review box lately... not so much._**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you take what I have said to heart and I wish you the best with your day._**


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